Holding Tight
by jessiejlp1987
Summary: Derek and Casey are surprised when their parents separate. The two teens can't stand each other and should be relieved when they find themselves no longer living under the same roof. But when they are torn apart, they can't help but hold tight to one another. Separation isn't an option.
1. Chapter 1

Derek gazed down the hallway, watching as Casey absentmindedly rummaged through her tidy locker, pulling a textbook out. She wore a bright pink shirt and matching skirt with her long brunette locks falling in waves down her back. Casey looked like her normal self aside from the missing peppiness she usually had on Monday mornings. She looked tired and defeated.

Over the weekend, the McDonald girls had moved out.

It was hard to fathom how Nora and his dad could ever divorce. Sure, they fought like any normal married couple, but they never went to bed angry. However, on Friday night, the 'rents had been in the basement arguing for hours until Nora came upstairs with tears in her eyes and told Casey and Lizzie to pack a few bags.

George insisted they were just taking a 'break,' but it wasn't hard to miss the worry that had crossed the older Venturi's features.

Saturday had been abnormally quiet with Derek locked up in his room while Marti cried, and Edwin talked in hush tones on the phone…Derek knew he was talking to Lizzie.

Hasn't this been what he'd wanted all along? For the girls to move out so they could once again live like men and do as they please? But the silence was almost deafening.

By Sunday, he was missing the dinner arguments and slammed doors. He missed the yelling and the sound of his name being screamed. He missed the sappy singing and scent of vanilla coming from the bathroom each morning.

Derek almost felt guilty because it wasn't Nora or Lizzie that crossed his mind every second of every day. He barely missed them, and while Derek often lacked a conscious, they were cool…for girls. But he didn't miss them.

Not the way he missed…not the way he missed, Casey.

Derek outwardly groaned, hitting his head against the locker. When had it happened? If Nora and his dad got a divorce, she would no longer be his stepsister. He wouldn't have to feel guilty for the thoughts that crept into his mind more times than he cared to admit. But there was nothing keeping them in London. After the school year, chances were they would move back to Toronto…or to New York with Dennis…or to the Blue Heron Lodge with Nora's mother which was still a three-hour drive away.

He was royally fucked.

Derek took a deep breath, hoping that his emotions all but vanished before tucking his textbook underneath his arm and sauntering towards Casey with his signature walk that portrayed a confident and cocky jerk.

"How was your weekend, Case?" He asked with a smirk, leaning casually against the lockers and waiting expectantly for an answer.

"Like you care."

Casey began walking down the hallway, Derek fast on her heels. He placed an arm around her shoulder, squeezing lightly, half expecting her to pull from his grasp. Surprisingly, she let him continue to touch her and Derek was grateful for the contact.

It had been a long weekend.

It wasn't the first time he had put an around her and he'd hoped it wouldn't be the last.

"Casey, Casey, Casey…don't look so sad. You know dad and Nora. By the end of the week, they will be making out in the kitchen and grossing us the fuck out."

"Derek…," Casey said sternly, glancing at him as they continued to walk down the long hallway.

"the freak out," he corrected. She hated it when he cursed. Derek bent his head and smiled. He was a bit surprised to find out how much he missed getting in 'trouble' by Miss Prissy.

"I'm not so sure this time."

"And why do you say that?"

"Because mom spent the entire weekend looking at apartments between here and Niagara Falls while Lizzie and I sat in some gross hotel room watching 90s reruns."

"Huh?" Derek squealed, halting his steps.

"I think mom is serious," Casey said, looking at Derek with sad eyes that tore at his normally frozen heart. Tears were beginning to form within their blue depths, and while Derek loved how bright her eyes were becoming from the threatening pools, he didn't _do_ tears. Especially when those tears belonged to Casey.

"Whoa. Don't cry."

"How can I not cry?" she wailed, her cheeks becoming wet as those pools fell down her face in a steady stream. "Our family is being torn apart and we have no idea why. Mom and George are perfect together and we were supposed to be one big happy family until death we parted."

"Really, Case?" Derek smirked, hoping to lighten the mood. "The second the 'rents croaked you were gonna run the hell away from me."

"It did cross my mind," she sobered. Derek rose an eyebrow, grateful for the sudden cease in tears. "But I wouldn't. As much as it pains me, you are a packaged deal."

"Touching," Derek said in a somewhat sarcastic tone, though he liked the sound of being a part of Casey's 'packaged deal.' Maybe there was hope for them after all.

"And did Nora find an apartment?" Derek asked, holding his breath for the answer. Casey sighed.

"Not yet. I think a part of her is procrastinating on the whole thing, which is a good sign, but I can't take another minute in that hotel room. It's tiny and gross, with zero privacy. And try doing homework on some disgusting bed that God only knows what has happened on."

"You could come home," Derek blurted out without thinking. Casey narrowed her eyes and Derek mentally cursed himself for having diarrhea of the mouth.

"Home?"

"Ummmm, yeah," he said, running a hand through his hair. "All of your stuff is still there, and Nora can't seem to make up her mind on what she really wants. You might as well sleep in your own bed, right?"

Casey's curious look slowly faded before her shoulders slumped forward in defeat. "I can't just leave mom and Liz. As much as I would love to be in my own room, the three of us have to stick together."

Derek tried hard to hide his disappointment. He wanted her to come home, dammit, where she belonged. Before he could say another word, the one-minute warning bell for class rang.

"I'll see you later, Derek," she said before hurrying off to first period. Defeated, Derek leapt up the stairs, taking them two at a time on his way to Algebra when his phone rang. Derek was surprised to find that this particular person would be calling him bright and early on a Monday morning. He doubt it was about Hockey, which was usually their main subject of conversation.

"Hello," Derek answered hesitantly.

"Derek, I wasn't sure you would answer. Good." The sound of Dennis on the other line was somewhat comforting because it kept him close to a certain brunette that he would never be able to shake.

"Hey!" Derek said, faining his usual carefree attitude. "Sup?"

"What in the hell is going on? Casey and Lizzie have been calling me all weekend crying. I thought Nora and George were doing fine."

"Don't worry about it, Dennis. I have everything under control."

"Is that so?" Dennis asked, amusement lacing his voice.

"Of course. Before you know it, those two love birds will be putting a giant, yet disgusting, do not disturb sign on the basement door if you know what I mean, huh, huh."

"Derek."

"Hmmm? Yeah?"

"Just look after Casey for me since I can't be there, okay? You know how upset she gets."

"You mean Miss drama queen? No worries."

The other end of the line went silent for a moment. Derek looked down at his phone to see if the call was dropped. And then Dennis spoke again, but his words made Derek's stomach drop to the ground.

"I know you care about her, Derek. I've always known and I'm trusting you with her. There is no one else I'd rather have look after my little girl."

This time, Derek was the one to go silent. How was he supposed to respond to that? Dennis wasn't clueless like his dad or distracted like Nora. He was a nine-hour flight away, and he could see right through Derek's façade. It had to have been the phone call that first night he had come to visit. That damn phone call that told him to make things right with Casey because he couldn't stand to see her hurting.

"Derek?"

"Yeah?" he croaked out, bringing his thoughts back to the present.

"Stepbrother or not, it's okay. I won't hold it against you. I'm not sure anyone would."

"I'll look after her," Derek said before ending the call. Maybe he was more transparent than he thought.

Derek made his way towards class, ten minutes late and paranoid that everyone could see how much he was hopelessly in love with Casey McDonald.

* * *

Casey tossed and turned that night, glad that she had the bed to herself while her mom and sister slept in the other one. Her sleepless nights were getting worse. She missed her own bed and her own room. A part of her wanted to run off to New York to see her dad, but chances were he would be too busy at work to spend any time with her.

Why weren't they making up already? The one time her mom and stepdad had fought this bad, George had slept on the couch and the fight was over by the next day. But nothing was being resolved. They weren't even speaking. How could anyone make up if they weren't willing to talk out their problems?

Casey left her bed quietly, slipping into her furry bunny slippers and grabbing her cell and key before exiting out into the crisp night air.

It was the same cell phone that Derek had bought her last year for helping him with his in-school merchandising. It was the only thing he had ever bought her, and she loved the cheap thing.

Before her nerve was lost, she dialed a familiar number. "Hello," a groggy voice said on the other line. Casey chastised herself for calling at three o'clock in the morning, but she couldn't help it. She was homesick…even for him.

"Hey, Der."

"Case?"

"Yeah, it's me."

"Is everything okay?" The sound of concern in his voice surprised her a bit, and she was glad he hadn't hung up on her.

"Everything is okay, I guess. I just couldn't sleep."

"Where are you?"

"Just sitting outside the hotel room, talking to you."

"It's the middle of the night, Case," Derek stated, sleep still heavy in his voice. "Go back inside."

"I told you I can't sleep. I'm suffocating in there."

"That's better than being attacked by some creep. That place if probably crawling with weirdos."

Casey chuckled. "Dozens of them."

"That's what I thought. Now go inside…now."

"No."

"Caseyyyyy."

"Not yet. Please. I just want to talk for a minute."

Derek gave a heavy sigh that signified how put out with her he was. "_One_ minute."

Casey gave a smile in triumph. "How is everything at home?"

"Oh, you know. Same ol', same ol'. Everyone is walking around all pathetic and mopey."

"And you?"

"Well, I can finally take a shit in peace."

"Der-ek!"

Her familiar scream caused him to chuckle on the other line. She missed that laugh more than she cared to admit. Her features softened at the sound.

"Come home, Case." It was a soft whisper, but it was second time he'd asked her to come home. She was beyond tempted.

"And then what?"

"What do you mean, 'and then what'? You can finally sleep in your own bed and not sit outside waiting to be attacked by some middle aged greasy gross dude with a record that's a mile long."

"Derek…"

"Please go inside, Casey, and I'll talk to you at school tomorrow."

"Alright," she sighed in defeat.

"I'll stay on the line until you the door is locked behind you."

Casey closed her eyes and smiled into the phone. This was a new side of Derek that she actually liked. He had been nice to her the entire day at school starting with their morning talk. He had even sat next to her at lunch, much to the delight and surprise of Emily. He'd barely opened his mouth the entire time they ate. It was like he only wanted to be near her.

What if he feared the pending divorce as much as she did? What if the thought of losing her was making him see things in a different light? What if he had cared all along and he was trying to hold on to this life that they had built and hadn't known they wanted…or needed, until now.

Casey rose from her spot on the stoop and opened the door, letting it close securely behind her.

"Goodnight, Derek," she whispered softly into the phone so her mom and sister wouldn't wake up.

"Goodnight, Case. Sweet dreams."

Casey crawled back into bed. The heaviness she felt on her chest was lifting and Casey was surprised that it was Derek she was clinging to. In a way, he was holding tight to her, too. It appeared that neither of them were willing to let go of the life that they have been forced to build, but unable to move on from.


	2. Chapter 2

"What _ARE_ you doing?" Derek walked into the kitchen, sat down at the island, and gave George a look that meant to say 'I mean business.'

"I'm making coffee. Want some?"

"That's not what I mean, and you know it…but sure."

George poured two cups of coffee, sitting one in front of his eldest son before cleaning a spot on the counter that had already been spotless. When it was clear that his father had no intention of starting the conversation, Derek began.

"You and Nora are soul mates," he said, emphasizing his point with a dramatic hold to his chest. "Don't you think it's about time you let her come home and put her out of her misery?" Derek took a sip of his black coffee, grimacing at how strong it was. George was clearly not sleeping either, because there had to be at least four scoops in this thing. "Bleh, G."

"Oh, sorry. I made it a bit strong," George said, moving over to the coffee pot and dumping its contents. "I'll make you another pot."

"No, no, no…strong is good. I got maybe…two hours last night before Princess called to wake me up and tell me how miserable she is."

"Casey?" George said, turning around quickly. "You and Casey have been talking?"

Derek mentally cursed himself for mentioning his stepsister. After all, Dennis could tell. What if everyone else had noticed, too, and Derek had been oblivious to his own feelings the entire time while others were laughing behind his back?

Derek shrugged, feigning indifference. "You know Casey. Always one for theatrics."

George exhaled, running a hand through his blonde locks. "The girls can come home whenever they want. I'm not stopping them."

"Then why haven't they!?"

"Why do you care?" George asked, staring directly at Derek for the first time. "I thought you would be happy about this?"

"What I would be happy about is getting a solid night without Klutzilla interrupting my beauty sleep."

"Listen, Derek," George said, pausing before speaking. Something was clearly plaguing the older Ventui, and Derek knew that he was about to get something off his chest. The question was, did Derek even want to know? "It's about your mother…"

"What about, Mom? Is she okay?" Derek asked, slamming down his coffee cup, causing dark liquid to splatter out. He was instantly worried.

"Oh, no, she's fine. It's nothing like that."

"Then what's wrong?"

George sighed. "You know that I love Nora. I want nothing more than to have her come home so that we can continue being one big happy family."

Derek raised an eyebrow at the term 'happy.'

"Okay," George said in irritation before correcting, "one big family."

"Then why hasn't she?"

"Because she has it in her head that I ch…that I…"

"Spit it out, Dad."

In defeat, George looked around to make sure they were alone before whispering, "that I cheated on her with Abby."

"What?!" Derek screamed.

"Shhhhhhhh."

"You and mom got a divorce for a reason. Why in the hell would Nora think you're hooking up with, Mom?"

"She doesn't think I'm 'hooking up' with your mother," George said, using quotation marks at Derek's choice of words. "She just thinks I may have had lunch with Abby without telling her first."

"And _did_ you?"

George hesitated, turning his back to Derek before loading the dish washer. Before the McDonald's moved in and turned their world upside down in more ways than Derek could count, his father never did housework. He remembered stepping over mess after mess and eating on paper plates. His dad was clearly a bottle of nerves.

"Dad?!"

"Maybe! It was nothing," George said.

"Daaaaad," Derek exhaled, running a hand over his face. "You're such a fucking idiot."

"Derek," George said sternly.

"Well, you are! Even I know you don't go out with your ex without telling your wife first. It makes it look a little fishy, don't you think?"

"Listen, you know your mom is done with school and she's moving back to London soon. We were mostly talking about you kids and a new schedule that doesn't have to involve the courts."

"Then why would you hide that from, Nora?"

"I didn't. I just told her a few days after the fact," George said, hesitating before speaking again. "And…your mother just broke up with Jeff."

"The Dermatologist?" Derek asked, wrinkling his nose.

"Yeah."

"What does Jeff have to do with anything?"

"Because your mother was feeling really really bad and she may have kissed me!"

Derek's mouth gaped open at his father's confession. In turn, George's mouth was hanging open just as wide, clearly saying more than he had intended. "Don't tell anyone, Derek. Please. Especially Casey and Lizzie. It's hard enough to try and get Nora to come home without the girls getting in her ear what a slimy moron I am."

"You kissed, Mom?" Derek asked, still in too much shock to say more.

"Your mother kissed _me_."

"Are you getting back together?" Derek asked. He had always wanted his parents to work out their differences, but now it wasn't just the Venturi's that were affected. Right now, his Casey was living in some hotel across town, miserable.

"Of course not! As soon as it happened…I pushed her away. And a few days later, I told Nora because the guilt was too much to take. All she could say was that if it meant nothing, I should have told her the second it happened….and that I shouldn't have met up with Abby for lunch without telling her in the first place, even if it had initially been about you kids."

Derek ran a finger around the rim of his coffee cup, letting everything that George had told him sink in. How could his mother walk away and then think she could waltz back in whenever the fuck she felt like it without a care for anyone's feelings? They had to adjust to life without her, and just because she was done living her life outside of London, she felt that she could come in and break up their family like it was nothing.

"I have to get to school," Derek said, grabbing his hockey bag and books before heading towards the back door.

"Derek," George said, clearly hating how the conversation was ending.

"If mom calls…tell her to go to hell."

* * *

Casey gazed at Derek out of the corner of her eye, he had one finger against his mouth in concentration while his leg bounced up and down at a rapid pace. For once, his attention was at the front of the class, but Casey doubted he had any idea what Mrs. Blackwell had said about the Revolutionary War.

When the bell rang, signifying the end of class, Derek shot out of his chair and out of the door. He hadn't said one word to her all morning, and now it was time for lunch. Something told her he wouldn't be joining her today, but for the first time since she had met Derek, she actually craved some sort of interaction. Their short phone call in the middle of the night had done wonders for the way she felt. It continued to boggle her mind that Derek, of all people, would be her lifeline.

She grabbed her bag and chased after him, her flip flops threatening to fly off in her pursuit.

"Derek! Wait up."

"Not now, Case," he said. His voice was slightly irritated, but it was mostly weary.

"Yes, now. You've been avoiding me all morning." Casey mentally chastised herself for sounding so whiny.

"I've been avoiding you for almost two years. Why should you be surprised now?"

"Actually, you've been _terrorizing_ me for almost two years. There have been times when I wished you would avoid me…. except for right now when you are actually avoiding me, and I want to talk."

Derek stopped in his tracks, causing Casey to slam against his body. Derek grasped her tight in both hands until she had steadied herself, though his face remained hard in concentration despite the sudden leap in Casey's throat that came from the pounding in her chest. She was confused by the interaction, though she knew that every time Derek had touched her in the past, her heart would beat a little faster. It was something she always chose to ignore before, but this gentler side of Derek was making it hard to think about all the torment he had put her through before.

"So talk."

His curt response pulled her back to the present. "What's gotten into you today? Last night you sounded like you wanted to talk to me, and today you can't even look at me."

"Really, Case?" Derek asked in amusement, his signature smirk coming out in all its glory. "Do you want me to pay attention to you that bad? Do you want me to carry your book and wipe your ass, too?"

"You don't have to be such a jerk."

She clutched her notebook tight against her chest, adverting her gaze from Derek's face for the first time since their interaction began. Derek outwardly groaned pinching the bridge of his nose in irritation. "It's been a long morning, Casey, and I don't have the energy right now."

"I just want you to talk to me," she whispered. "I know you always try to hide it, but this separation is hurting you just as much as it's hurting the rest of us. I can tell."

"Hey, I'm Derek Venturi. I don't let shit like romance drama get to me, especially when it isn't mine. Nora and Dad can do whatever the hell they want to do. I…don't…care."

"Der…"

"Just leave me alone, Case. I'll call you later."

Casey watched as Derek sauntered towards the front of the building outside. Clearly, he was skipping lunch today and she wouldn't be seeing him for the rest of the afternoon. Derek loved to act like he was invincible. Like nothing ever bothered him and his heart was made of pure stone. However, something was hurting him more than he cared to admit, and Casey was determined to get to the bottom of it.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: Thank you for the kind reviews! I'm glad that so many of you are excited to see me write a new Dasey fic. This one happened on a whim, so I hope that you like it. Just fyi, Casey and Derek are towards the end of 11****th**** grade in this story. Also, I continue to get several messages regarding the one-shot I did over a year ago. I have tried a few times to write more chapters, and I'm never satisfied, but it is the one story I come back to over and over where I would love to see where it goes. Thank you for the encouragement. Please continue to read, review, and don't keep your opinions to yourself! **

Derek walked outside into the chilly air, glad that spring was finally making an appearance.

His body was aching from hockey practice, though it was his own fault. He was determined to work some of his aggression out on his poor teammates, but he may have gone a bit too far. Derek had slammed so hard into Sam that he laid unmoving on the ice for a good 30 seconds, which Derek found to be a long fucking time to make sure you haven't killed your best friend.

Coach had been pissed.

Derek unlocked the Prince and threw his bag inside before taking his cell out. It was 5:30 and he had told Casey he would call her after their horrible interaction in the hallway. The minute he had walked away, he had felt like total and utter shit. It wasn't her fault that his mom was trying to tear their family apart, that Nora had reacted like any jealous wife would, and that his dad was a freaking idiot for putting himself in that situation in the first place.

He had been terrified of spilling the beans, letting the cat out of the bag before he could process everything his dad had told him. Derek had forced his legs to run away, though the hurt on Casey's pretty face had nearly been his undoing. In that moment, he didn't know how to act other than his normal asshole of a self.

It was the only way he could get away, and Derek made a mental note to work on that. Next time, he would force himself to handle the situation better, even if it killed him.

Before he could press 'call' on Casey's number, Sam walked over to Derek, a quiet look of concentration on his face. "What happened in there, D?"

"Hockey," Derek said. "Can't take the heat, get off the ice, Sam."

"There is hockey, and then there is brutality, dude. You were taking out some aggression, so spill. What's going on?"

Derek burst out laughing, looking at Sam like he'd lost his mind. "You want me to talk about my feelings? Come on. You know me better than that."

"True," Sam nodded. "But when my best friend tries to kill me at practice when I didn't even have the puck, something tells me there is a little more to the story."

"You got in my way."

"D…"

"Dad and Nora split," Derek burst out, instant relief washing over him at finally being able to tell someone outside of the family.

"What?! No way! How…why…when?"

"Take a deep breath. It's still pretty new. Happened on Friday night and I would rather not talk about the 'why'."

"And Casey? How is she taking all this?"

The hairs on the back of Derek's neck stood at the concern Sam had for Casey. It was hard enough that his best friend had dated her over a year ago. The last thing he wanted was for the guy to go comfort his stepsister when Derek wanted to be the one Casey came too…even if he had pushed her away that morning.

_Shit, I have to work on that._

"Casey is Casey, Sam. She's upset, obviously."

"Maybe I should call her."

"No," Derek shook his head vigorously. "I have it under control."

"You?" Sam asked with amusement. "And since when do you want to be the one Casey pours her heart out to?"

Derek hesitated, tapping his fingers on the hood of his car. How can he confess to Sam? The whole 'male code' that Derek had made up when Sam dared to date _his _Casey will become transparent as hell. But it didn't take long for Sam to figure it out because he stood up tall before giving Derek a little shove.

"Don't screw it up, D. She may be neurotic as hell, but there is no other girl like Casey."

Derek remained silent, refusing to give Sam the satisfaction of confirming what both of them already knew. But his friend was right. Casey was one in a million and that thought scared him more than anything. It didn't provide an ounce of comfort. If the universe ever allowed him to have Casey as more than an annoying stepsister, he would screw it up. He just knew he would, and Casey deserved the best.

"A bunch of us are renting a place on Monroe Lake for March Break. You and Casey should come."

Derek gave a sideways glance to his best friend for the first time in minutes. Monroe Lake? Finally having Casey under the same roof sounded like a little slice of heaven. "It's too cold for the lake…and how in the hell am I just now hearing about this?"

"I tried calling you this weekend, but you wouldn't answer. Now I know why. And we're renting this huge cabin. It's not like we can jet ski or anything, but it's a nice area and we can hang with friends…build a fire…just have fun. Plus, there will be a hot tub."

"Yeah, I'm in," Derek said, needing no convincing.

"Oh, and it's a hundred bucks a person."

Derek chuckled. "Of course it is. I'll talk to Case tonight about it."

"Cool…see ya later, D."

Derek gazed down at his phone again, contemplating calling Casey and demanding she go on the trip with him. But demands usually didn't work with her, so he figured he would have to ask and give her the opportunity to 'voluntarily' come along, though they both knew she always gave into him eventually.

Before he could lose his nerve, Derek leapt into the driver seat and sped off, determined to see her face to face.

* * *

Casey was texting Emily when a knock on the door came. They were living in a hotel and Casey couldn't imagine it being anyone else but housekeeping arriving with more towels. Nora walked over to the door, opened it, and her smile instantly brightened.

"Derek!" she squealed. Her arms reached out to drag him inside. Derek shrunk into himself as she wrapped her arms tight around him. He hated human contact that wasn't the 'girl' kind, but he couldn't keep the smile from his face if he tried.

"Derek!" Lizzie beamed, moving to hug him from the other side. He pulled at one of her braids before finally wiggling free. Casey was still angry about their interaction that morning, though she had to admit the sight of him felt…it felt like home. She missed him so much that it was beginning to physically hurt.

"Hey, Case," he said a little too cheerfully, placing his hands into the pockets of his leather jacket.

"Hi," she replied mid text.

"Ummmm," Derek said, rocking back on his feet. The air was beginning to feel heavy as Nora and Lizzie watched their entire interaction. "Can I talk to you for a sec? Outside?"

Casey stood with hesitation, grabbing her jacket before walking past Derek, trying not to breath in his scent which was becoming more intoxicating with each passing day. Stepping outside, Casey wrapped her arms around her body, the chill of the day becoming worse as the sun set. As soon as the door clicked behind them, she flashed him a glare that was the poster child for 'if looks could kill.'

"You're mad," Derek stated, chewing on his lower lip before gazing down at his feet like a child who had been caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

"We have to stick together right now, Derek. Honestly, it's really weird trying not to fight with you, but if we end up on opposite sides of this whole fiasco, we may never be a family ever again."

"I was having a shitty morning, Casey. I was avoiding you for a reason, but you insisted on talking to me."

"Did something else happen?" Casey asked. For a moment, she could see the fear, worry, and something that resembled anger, cross his features. Derek cleared his throat, turned away from her intense scrutiny.

"It's whatever…I'll try not to be such an ass in the future."

Casey signed, crossing her arms over her chest. "Well, I guess that's about as close to an apology that Derek Venturi has ever come close to giving."

A smirk etched the corner of his lips, but for once it was soft and inviting. He really was beautiful if you took a moment to forget how horrible he really was.

"Monroe Lake for March Break? You in?"

"Emily was just mentioning it, but I don't know," Casey answered. "With everything going on right now…"

"I think we could use a few days away from all this shit."

"But Mom is putting so much money into this hotel right now, and the child support doesn't come for another two weeks, I don't have the hundred dollars."

Derek scoffed. "Don't worry about the money. I got it."

"You're going to pay for both of us?"

"I _do_ have a job," Derek said in an obvious manner. "Which is more than I can say for some lazy people who shall remain nameless."

Casey leapt forward, smacking him on the arm. Derek moved away despite barking out a laugh. "I have dance practice. _And_ I care about my grades, Derek."

"Plus you just suck at work."

"Well, I'll one day excel at law. I just have trouble…pouring water."

"Whatever you say, Space Case." If it wasn't for the abnormally affectionate gaze he was giving her, Casey would be more irritated than she actually was.

"So the lake?"

"I have to run it by Mom, but…I'll go. Maybe while we're there, we can figure out this entire mess and come up with some way to get our parents back together."

Derek groaned. "The last thing I want to do on my vacation is think about middle age romance drama."

"Maybe just a little scheming?" Casey asked, pulling out her most charming and manipulative grin while making a small gesture with her thumb and forefinger.

Derek reached out, pressing down until the gap between her fingers nearly touched. The feel of his skin on hers was like fire despite the chilled air. He was lingering unnecessarily, his thumb grazing her skin in a light caress that sent a shiver down her spine. "A very small amount of scheming, Case. I don't want to waste our trip."

_Our trip._

His voice was barely above a whisper, caressing her skin even more than his touch had, which seemed impossible. Casey couldn't tear her gaze away from his dark eyes that were locked onto her. This wasn't the relationship that she and Derek had. Somehow, the thought of being forced apart was bringing them closer together, and Casey wasn't sure if she should run from it or sprint towards it and hold tight.


	4. Chapter 4

"I'm so excited for March Break!"

Casey forced a smile as Emily bounced up and down. Honestly, she was looking forward to the trip as much as anyone, but she still felt bad for leaving her Mom and sister at the worst possible time ever. Not to mention, an entire week alone…with Derek…without adult supervision.

Casey made a face. _Where had that come from?_

She's been living in the same house with the bane of her existence since before the start of grade 10. Why would a tiny vacation with friends be any different? But it was. This past week felt completely different. It was as if their whole relationship had been a lie.

Or maybe this was the lie?

The prospect of change was making them act crazy. They feared the future. Fear made people do insane things. Ever since his touch on Tuesday night, Derek had been uncharacteristically attentive, though he still found ways to get little jabs in every now and then. But Casey knew that that was just Derek and he would always find ways to tease her.

"So, I was thinking," Emily continued. "You can ride with Sheldon and me. He finally got his license," she squealed. "I mean, his driving could use some improvement…but he's the only one of us who actually has his own car. It's our first road trip together!"

"You'll have to take a rain check on that road trip, Em. Casey is riding with me." Derek sauntered up to them, an easy grin on his face. He leaned against the nearest locker, crossing one foot in front of the other. As usual, his cockiness was slowly returning, though he continued to make an effort to be nice, which she appreciated.

"Oh?" Emily asked in confusion. But Casey's best friend wasn't one to _ever_ question Derek. She had been dating Sheldon Schleper for six months, but Casey knew that Emily would break the poor guys heart if Derek would pay even an ounce of attention to her.

"No one should willingly get into a vehicle with Schleper. Even Klutzilla. I saw him back into the principal's Miata this morning."

"Oh no!" Emily cried. "No one else saw, did they? I'd hate for him to lose his license before the trip."

"I don't think so," Derek smirked, wrinkling his nose in that adorable way of his when trying not laugh at someone else's discomfort.

Yeah, the old Derek was still in there.

"So, road trip!" Ralph chimed in. "I call shot gun, D."

"There's no room, Ralph!" Derek turned his head sharply, barking at his friend for even suggesting he ride with them.

"Hey! You, me, and Sam have gone on plenty of road trips before, and there is always room," Ralph said in defensive confusion.

"I'm power washing my back seat."

"But that should dry…"

"Come on, Ralph. We'll be late for class. You can ride with me," Sam chimed in, shooting Derek a look that told him to be a 'little less obvious.' Grabbing Ralph by the back of the neck, her ex directed them down the hallway until they were out of sight.

"Well…I should get to class too. See ya, Casey." Emily turned a starry eye on Derek. "Bye, Derek."

"Later," he replied, not looking in the other girls' direction. His gaze remained steadfast on Casey, which was beginning to make her uncomfortable.

"Do you have to be so rude to our friends?"

"Hey, I told you I'd work on being less of an ass to _you_. We said nothing about our friends. Besides, they are used to me by now. I'd hate to throw them a giant curve ball by using girly words like 'please' and 'thank you."

"Duly noted," Casey rolled her eyes. "But you really don't have to drive me. I can ride with Sheldon and Emily, no problem."

For a moment, Casey swore she saw a look of hurt on Derek's face, but he quickly masked it with indifference before shrugging. "I just thought I'd offer. And you did want to scheme about Dad and Nora, after all."

"You're absolutely right," she smiled brightly. "I've been working on our operation ever since we mentioned it. I'm so excited! Those two love birds will be back together before we know it."

"Listen, Case…"

Casey looked up at Derek, watching his eyes drop to the ground as his lips worked to find the right words. She furrowed her brow, waiting for his response that never came. "Yes?" she asked expectantly.

"I can't wait to stick our noses where they don't belong," he said with a wink, tapping her lightly on the arm with his textbook. He began walking down the hallway and far away from their conversation. As she suspected, something was definitely going on with Derek, and Casey had a sneaking suspicion that he knew more than he was willing to let on.

* * *

Derek jabbed at his Chinese food, stabbing a piece of orange chicken before popping it into his mouth. The noodles he had were sliding off and he hadn't had more than two bites since sitting down in his recliner. With a groan of frustration, he'd decided he had had enough.

"Ed. Fork. Now."

Edwin sat down his own takeout, clearly annoyed, but did as he was told. "You do have legs, Derek," George muttered, turning down the tv as a commercial came on.

"Yeah, and so does Edwin," Derek said, stating the obvious.

Changing the subject, despite the muscle working furiously in his jaw due to his inability to control his eldest son, George said, "What are our plans for March Break? I can probably get a few days off at the firm if you kids want to go somewhere?"

"Yeah!" Marti chimed in. "Will Nora, Casey, and Lizzie come?

"We've been through this, Marti," Edwin said as he gingerly handed the fork over to Derek. "The girls don't live here anymore. Hence, they will not be going anywhere with us _ever_ again."

"Ed," George said in warning, but not before Marti let out a long whine and began to cry for the billionth time that week.

Derek had to admit that one of the worse things about the separation was hearing his little sister cry. It made his uncaring heart thaw into a warm puddle and he absolutely hated it. Derek put his footrest down and made a monster noise, instantly causing Marti to go quiet and look at him with anticipation because she knew what was coming next; the tickle monster.

Derek bent down to pick her up amidst her giggles and squeals until the thought of the McDonald girls had completely left Marti's thoughts. "No more, Smerek! I have to pee," she screamed.

"Oh no. Well, we can't have that," Derek said, nuzzling the inside of her neck before setting her free, watching as she ran up the stairs to use the bathroom. Turning his attention to George, Derek sat down in his recliner once again, picking up his food. "By the way, I'm going to the lake with friends for March Break."

George halted mid bite. "Since when?"

"Mmmm, since Tuesday."

"And I'm just now hearing about it."

"Relax, G. It's just going to be the guys…plus a few other people."

"And who are these other people?"

Derek hesitated, focusing on the Hockey game. He coughed. "Girls."

"Excuse me! You want me to let you go to the lake alone for _days_ when there will be girls there?"

Derek rolled his eyes. He had been prepared for his father's theatrics ahead of time, which was exactly why he waited until last minute to even mention the trip.

"Come on Dad, really?"

"Don't tell me to 'come on.' You can't spend an entire week alone unchaperoned with girls there."

Derek put his fingertips to his forehead, trying to find the right words. "I don't need to be hauled up with a girl in some cabin to do…_that_."

"That isn't the point, Derek!"

"You and I both know I've already done…_that_," Derek emphasized, trying to make his point. The color in George's cheeks intensified, as he glanced over at Edwin who was hanging on to every word they were saying.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better about you going on this trip how?"

"Relax. Casey is going," Derek said, hoping that the mention of Casey would calm down his father before the older Venturi had a stroke.

George did relax slightly at the mention of his stepsister's name. "And Nora is okay with this?"

"Of course she is. As if Princess can't be trusted. She probably wears a chastity belt for all we know."

"Well, I guess if Casey is there to keep an eye on you."

Derek rolled his eyes but was smart enough to keep his mouth shut. If George only knew that Derek had zero interest in any other girl going on the trip aside from one gorgeous brunette that he couldn't stop thinking about, he'd freak.

"When do you leave?"

"Tomorrow morning," Derek chimed before running up the steps and to his room, not giving George another minute to think up more reasons on why he shouldn't be allowed to go. Tomorrow was going to be the start of something big. He just hoped that that something big revolved around him and Casey.


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! I'm glad so many of you are loving this story and taking the time to sit down and read it. It means a lot. Also, some timeline of events have been changed for the stories sake. **

"I call it…Covert Operation Pink Fog."

"What is it with you and fog? You didn't make crustless cucumber sandwiches this time, did you?"

"If I had, you'd just throw them out the window."

"You know it."

Derek smiled to himself as he put on his shades, trying hard to focus on the highway in front of him. It was nice having Casey to himself. He loathed the thought of getting to the cabin and someone else vying for her attention. Even listening to her stupid mission on how to get their parents back together was turning into the highlight of his week.

"So," Casey began, opening the piece of paper that just happened to be pink itself. Derek wouldn't expect anything less. "Number one. Imagine a candlelit dinner for two outside, soft music, floating lanterns in the distance…"

"Number one," Derek interrupted. "Get Nora to answer the phone."

Casey frowned, her lips turning into a cute pout. Derek bit down on his own bottom lip, trying hard not to groan at the thought of possessing that sweet mouth.

"I already tried getting her to answer and she said she didn't want talk to him," she stated in defeat.

"Then how do you plan on getting them to attend a romantic candlelit dinner?"

"We surprise them. Duh."

"Next option," Derek demanded, shaking his head no. "Too much work."

Casey gave a heavy sigh before returning to her list. "Number two. A romantic walk in the park where they can hold hands and laugh like they use to, ending their tryst by the pond where they watch the sun set in all its glory." She looked off into the distance like she could envision the magic, a dreamy smile on her face.

"Number two. Get them into a room together without Nora scratching his eyes out."

"Der-ek! You're ruining my vision."

"I'm being realistic. It's been over a week, Case. Your mom is clearly pissed at Dad, so some 'magical' setting isn't going to work. We may have to physically throw them into a room together and lock them inside until they promise to play nice."

Casey laughed softly.

"What's so funny," Derek asked, raising an eyebrow in question.

"Like they did with us when I demanded you give me your room."

Derek groaned, remembering the memory fondly. "And they spent all weekend building you the perfect basement bedroom. You were so ungrateful."

"_We_ were ungrateful," she emphasized.

"It all worked out in the end," Derek stated softly.

"Yeah, it did."

They went silent, thinking about their life together that was slowly slipping away. All the fights now seemed meaningless. And it was all his own damn fault. Derek knew from the beginning he was the reason for their hostility. After all, Casey loved Ralph when she thought he was Derek. But Derek had to make an appearance, being rude and degrading. Looking back now, he couldn't understand why he had always treated her so terribly.

Deep down, Derek knew that he was keeping her at arm's length by acting like a dick. It was just easier that way. It was easy to not kiss her if she was screaming and fighting him, turning away and slamming the door behind her.

But that's not what he wanted any more. He wanted to see Casey laugh. He wanted her to gaze at him with something more than contempt. And this past week, that's exactly what she had done. She was softening towards him already and Derek was determined to fix their entire relationship. He wasn't terrified of getting too close to her anymore. If anything,…he craved it.

He wanted a do-over on the past two years like they never existed.

Amidst his thoughts of Casey, his cell phone began to ring. Before he could see who was calling, Casey reached up on the dashboard and grabbed it. Anytime his phone had rung in the past and a girl he was interested in dared to touch his cell, he would freak and get pissed. More times than not, it was because another girl was calling. But ever since Derek had realized how much his own stepsister actually meant to him, he hadn't talked to another female in over a week. Maybe that small gesture of letting Casey know he had zero interest in anyone else would make her realize how serious he was about her…once he got around to telling her how he really felt, that is.

Casey's beautiful eyes brightened. "It's Abby!"

"Casey don't answer that…"

"Abby! How are you?"

"Casey, hang up the phone…" Derek said, reaching to grab his cell. Casey thwarted his attempt while she continued talking to the woman who birthed him. He had been dodging his mother's calls the entire week before she had finally given it a rest on Thursday night. It never occurred to him that she was stupid enough to try getting ahold of him again.

"Oh, I'm doing fine, thanks for asking. Derek and I are on the way to spend time with friends for March Break…mmmhmmm, mmmhmmm,…Yeah, we won't be home the entire week...Well, I'm sure he's sorry he won't be around to see you, but Edwin and Marti will love spending time with you now that you're back in London…it was great talking to you too, Abby….Here is Derek."

Derek looked down at the phone as Casey held it up expectantly for him to answer. _You have got to be kidding me?_ Derek thought. He sure as hell couldn't fake a conversation and be nice. And it's not like he can yell at her for fucking up their life while Casey sat right beside him. Not before he got up the nerve to tell her that Abby was the reason for their entire world crumbling around them. Derek reached for the phone, taking it from Casey's soft grasp, their fingers brushing lighting.

Casey pulled back with a jolt as if she had been burned, causing his thoughts to turn away from his mother. He gazed at her from behind his sunglasses, watching as her eyes remained downcast, rubbing the spot that he just touched. Fuck, she was breathtaking. Nothing was going to ruin their time together. Right now, the outside world didn't even exit, because for the first time, Derek was certain Casey felt it too.

He gently flipped his phone shut.

"Der-ek! You just hung up on your mother."

"I'm driving. It's not safe to talk on the phone while driving."

"Since when? I've seen you text with one hand while driving with your pinky finger."

"Drop it, Case."

"Der…"

"I said drop it," Derek whispered, trying his best to keep his voice light without getting angry. The last thing he needed was for Casey to be mad at him about his tone when he knew she would be livid when he told her why their 'rents had broken up in the first place.

Casey closed her mouth, sitting back without asking any further questions. She looked more intrigued and confused than anything, and it was much better than the anger that would boil over once Derek crushed her world.

* * *

A few hours later, Derek pulled the Prince up to a two-story cabin, cutting the engine. The place was already buzzing with their classmates who were unloading their vehicles or sitting around talking with drinks in their hand. There were more kids than he thought there would be. The place was going to be like a giant co-ed frat house for the entire week. The old Derek would have loved it. It was like a buffet full of girls for the taking. But now, it was like a giant obstacle keeping him from having a nice time with Casey

There was no way in hell he would get alone time with her when every square inch of the cabin would be packed with bodies. He groaned.

Not without being obvious to the entire junior class at Thompson High that he had the hots for his stepsister, that is.

Casey's door swung open, an excited Emily pulling her from the car. Great. Two seconds, and she was already being whisked away. This was a bad idea.

At the same time, Sam bent down, looking at Derek through his open window with a smirk on his face. "How was the drive?"

Derek could hear the meaning behind his friends' question. As annoyed as he was, Derek couldn't help but crack a smile. "You're going to make me say it, aren't you?"

"The first step to recovery is admitting you have a problem."

Derek laughed. "Dick," he said before stepping from his car, forcing Sam to move back. "I don't have a _problem_."

"Oh, I think you do," Sam pushed. "I think you have one giant _Casey_ sized problem."

"Don't let Casey know you called her giant."

"That's not what I meant," Sam rolled his eyes, still eyeing Derek like he was being interrogated. He was thankful he still had on his sunglasses to hide behind.

"It was a nice drive, for the most part," Derek admitted quietly as he opened up the trunk to retrieve their belongings.

"I'm sorry. What was that?" Sam asked, cupping his ear though Derek knew full well he had heard what he'd said.

"You haven't told anyone have you?" Derek asked, changing the subject.

"About you wanting Casey?"

"Shhhhhhh."

Derek looked around him, relieved to find no one within ear shot because his 'best friend' wasn't being too subtle about Derek's developing feelings for a certain keener.

"No, dumb ass. About the breakup. The last thing I want to talk about this weekend is our parents' split. That will cause the party to die faster than Ed and Lizzie's birthday bash."

"No, I haven't mentioned the split. You know I wouldn't do that."

"Derry! I'm so excited you could make it."

_Oh shit. _ "Keennndrrraaaa." Derek turned away from the approaching blonde, giving Sam a 'what the fuck' look.

Kendra slammed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around him, pinning his arms to his sides. Derek was feeling suffocated and it had been less than five minutes since arriving. This was going to be a long ass week.

"I'm so glad that we can put our differences aside long enough to be friends and spend time together."

"Why are you here?" Derek asked with a forced smile. "You're a senior."

"I know that silly…but didn't Sammy tell you?"

"Tell me what?" Derek asked, trying to wiggle free from the clutches of his ex until she finally let go.

"Sam and I are dating!"

Derek couldn't believe his ears. His best friend was dating his ex and no one bothered to tell him? In all honesty, he was trying to be more pissed than he actually was. A few weeks ago, he would have been livid. But now, he was just glad that Kendra would be preoccupied and not bugging him every second of every day. That's why he dumped her in the first place. She was fucking suffocating and Sam could have her.

"I…I was going to tell you," Sam said sheepishly.

"Hey, man, don't worry about it. I'm sure the two of you will be very happy together." Derek shut the trunk, loading his body down with two duffle bags, two blow up mattresses, and two suitcases clutched in each hand as he began rolling them towards the house. "Send me an invite to the wedding!" he yelled behind him.

Sam could do whatever the hell he wanted, but it was a bit irritating that he always seemed to go after the girls Derek had had…or wanted. Maybe it was time to crown Ralph as the number one best friend. Derek chuckled before going inside the cabin. As long as Sam never laid another hand on Casey, he could do whatever the hell he wanted.


	6. Chapter 6

Casey crept out of the cabin later that evening in search of Derek.

He wasn't answering his cell and she was beginning to worry, but the sight of his car sitting in the driveway brought her some peace of mind.

The spectacle she had witnessed shortly before kept replaying over and over in her head.

Derek untwisting Becca's arms from around his neck as she accused him of not calling her after they had slept together, offering him forgiveness if they could have a redo. Derek feigning indifference before pawning her off on Pete Stone, the Goalie. Casey realizing that the Hockey team shared girls for their own amusement.

Her stomach churned at the thought.

As upset as she was with Derek for what he did or didn't do, that wasn't who he was anymore. Sure, the new Derek was only a week old, but he was beginning to grow up a bit. Casey knew that she should be happy about that fact and try _not_ to berate him for the jack ass that he had been.

Casey should be elated that Derek hadn't given in to the blonde cheerleader just to save face in front of the junior class of Thompson High. After all, he had a reputation to uphold. If he had given Becca what she was after, Casey wasn't sure her and Derek would ever be able to recover from that.

Casey attempted to push the jealousy aside.

Quickly realizing he wasn't by the fire outside, or even in the hot tub, Casey made her way to the front of the cabin, halting when she looked out over the vast water. She squinted slightly, trying to see into the dark. A lone figure sat on the dock and Casey was certain it was Derek. It had to be.

With a heavy sigh, Casey began to trek down the hill, cursing the steep incline for even existing. It would have been smarter to walk the extra steps to the stone stairs nearby, but Casey was impatient. She was grateful that she had chosen to be practical and wear tennis shoes on this chilly night.

But her luck was short lived as always.

Just as she was about to gain confidence at mastering such a hike, she lost her footing and began to fall forward.

It was like Cory Plunkett and his butt all over again.

Casey began to roll down the hill, screaming the whole way. Unlike the four steps that she had leapt off in grade 10, she was currently in a never-ending spiral. The lake was getting closer and closer, and she wasn't sure she would be able to stop in time before rolling directly off the ledge and into the shallow dark water below.

"Fuck, Casey!"

She could hear Derek curse nearby, his steps pounding against the dock as he ran, but Casey held her breath, preparing for the inevitable. Just as she accepted her fate, she hit a stone wall…or rather a solid body.

Derek had put his knee down directly between her and the shallow ledge. If her heart wasn't beating out of her chest from fear and embarrassment, she would have appreciated the gallant gesture.

"What the hell, Klutzilla," Derek spat out in exasperation, gazing down at Casey like she had lost her mind. She looked up into his features, which were half panicked and half angry, but saw them gradually soften considerably as the adrenaline began to subside. Instead, his eyes became searching as his hands roamed over her body. Normally, Casey would have swatted his ministrations away, acting like she didn't want him to touch her. But his concern was so sweet and his touch gentle, that she welcomed the caress. "Are you okay?" he asked softly while continuing to check if anything was broken.

"I'm fine," Casey breathed, still trying to catch her breath. She wasn't sure if the wind had been knocked out of her from the fall or because of Derek's closeness as he continued to lean over her body.

"How can anyone be so _fucking_ uncoordinated?"

"Stop swearing at me."

"No." he bit back instantly. "You practically break your neck because you decide you can't be bothered to take the steps…and if that didn't kill you, you might have drowned in freezing waters. What if I hadn't been here to save you? You can't go around doing shit like that, Case. I fucking swear you will one day get yourself killed the minute I'm not around to save your ass."

Casey seethed at his tone, pushing hard against his chest until he finally relented and backed away. He stood over her as Casey struggled to her feet. "I don't need saving! And I doubt I would have drowned in shallow water."

"Only you, Case, would drown in a damn puddle."

Casey opened her mouth and closed it several times, certain her eyes were blazing red. Just when she thought Derek could change, he instantly turned back into the jerk he'd always been. Unable to find the right comeback, which made her even more angry, Casey let out an unnatural sound that was half scream, half growl. She stomped her foot in agitation, which made Derek crack a smile. Casey became even angrier with his sudden amusement at her furry.

He always did this. He would laugh when she was mad and wanted to scream. He would never give her the satisfaction of having a real and satisfying sparing match without finding her funny. It was like she was a joke, and Casey was sick of it.

"I'm done!" Casey screamed. Derek's face fell at her declaration, instantly sobering.

"What in the hell, do you mean 'you're done?' Derek asked, crossing his arms over his solid chest and looking at her with confusion.

"I mean _done_…with this," she pointed between her and Derek rapidly. "Clearly, we were crazy to ever think we could possibly get along. We will never be able to put our differences aside long enough to do anything but fight. I'm crazy for even thinking things could change between us."

Derek looked away from her, the muscle in his jaw working feverishly as he placed his hands on his hips, his lips curling back in a bite that Casey could feel coming. "You want me to change, overnight, is that it?"

Casey opened her mouth to speak, but Derek barked again. "Shut up for once in your life, Case, and just listen! This is who we are. We're not perfect and we never will be. We're toothpaste and orange juice, if you have forgotten. Get off your high horse for two goddamn seconds, and stop being such an annoying little princess!"

"Is that outburst supposed to make me change my mind?" Casey whispered. While her and Derek fought like cats and dogs, he had never screamed at her before. Casey stepped back as Derek moved forward, determined to keep her distance.

Derek breathed out harshly, looking away while trying to calm his anger. He was silent for several seconds before finding his voice once more.

"Case…I…"

She didn't want to hear what else he had to say.

Feeling tired and defeated, Casey slowly turned away and began climbing up the hill that she had torpedoed down only minutes before. For once, she was grateful for the steep incline that would help her to work out the aggression and sadness which felt heavy on her chest.

"Case…Casey…" she could hear Derek behind her, climbing the same hill, struggling to find the right words. "I'm sorry! Please, just stop and talk to me, okay?"

Casey halted, turning around to see Derek's eyes pleading in the surrounding darkness, the lamp posts nearby giving her the only clear view of the trouble etched onto his face.

"You've never apologized to me before."

Derek flinched at her whispered words, but visibly relaxed, relieved that she would give him any kind of chance to explain and plead for forgiveness. "I should have a long ass time ago."

Derek walked up closer to her until he was able to reach out and grasp her arms, squeezing gently as he fought to find the right words to say. "I want you to promise me something, Casey. Please."

Casey hesitated, but weakly nodded her head at his request, holding her breath for his words that were bound to come. "Don't ever give up on me. I couldn't bare the thought of you hating me forever. I know that we're complete opposites…but that doesn't' have to be a bad thing. Opposites attract, right?"

"Derek…"

"Shhhh," Derek hushed, moving both of his hands on either side of her face as he came closer still. Casey couldn't breathe at the act, unable to move. He tangled one of his hands into her hair, gripping gently; tugging. "If something happens to where I royally piss you off…You have to give me a chance to explain. Know that I never meant to hurt you. Not anymore."

_Meant_ to hurt her.

Had he already done something but was unable to confess? Casey bit down on her bottom lip, listening to his every word. He was so close that her mind could think of little else other than the feel of his fingers in her hair. "Will you just trust me, Case?

She weakly nodded her head yes, unable to deny him. She always gave into him. Derek was her greatest weakness, and Casey was just now able to admit it to herself.

Derek began to move his hand to the back of her head, drawing her down gently as she promised to put her faith in him.

Was this really happening? Her heart was beating out of her chest and her legs were becoming so weak that she was on the verge of losing her footing. But this time she wasn't afraid to fall because she knew Derek would be there to catch her.

In that moment, their lips touched. The kiss was so gentle that Casey could feel tears forming behind her closed eyelids. She opened her mouth slightly to allowing him access, reveling at the feel of his tongue against hers. It's everything she had hoped for and more. She had pictured Derek kissing her many times in the past, though she had quickly swept those torrid thoughts aside, convincing herself that it would be gross and unnatural.

But it was more than perfect.

Casey moved to wrap her arms around his neck, begging for him to hold her closer. She could feel him smile against her mouth as her embrace tightened. He placed both hands flat against the small of her back, gripping her as they continued giving in to the passion that had always been between them…ever since before their parent's said, 'I do.'

* * *

Kendra squealed, quickly covering her mouth with her hand.

Before her entire world ceased to make any kind of sense, she had been grabbing a pack of cigarettes from Sam's car when she heard someone scream.

Running over to the steep hill that lead down to Monroe Lake, she saw Casey rolling down at an unnaturally fast pace. Only Casey would lose her footing and try to kill herself on March Break. Kendra started down the hill herself, knowing that it was pointless to try and save her because Casey was too far out of reach and inevitably going to wind up wet, but the least she could do was be there when the other girl climbed from the freezing waters.

In the distance, she could see Derek running down the long dock, keeping his arms out in order to maintain his balance and get to Casey in time.

Luckily, he was able to dive down in front of her and save her from falling off the stone ledge.

Kendra let out a sigh of relief.

Just as she was prepared to turn around walk back towards the cabin, she heard more screaming, but this time it was the fighting kind.

_Typical_, Kendra thought. Only Casey and Derek would fight after one had saved the other from a shitty fate.

Shrugging with indifference, Kendra lit a cigarette and decided this was more entertaining than the stupid game of beer pong going on inside. She sat down on the damp grass taking in the two before her. It was so dark outside that the two of them hadn't even noticed her presence.

But Kendra was glad because she could do what she did best. She called it being observant while others called it being nosy. Kendra didn't care. How else had she become known as the gossip queen if she didn't occasionally stick her nose into other people's business?

She watched as Casey and Derek trudged up the hill, clearly still angry. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but whatever it was, it was big.

And that's when it happened. Kendra swore her eyes were playing tricks on her. She let out a loud squeal and quickly covered her mouth, hoping that they didn't hear.

Derek and Casey were making out hardcore. Casey and Derek were kissing. The two people who fought worse than those on opposing sides of war were locked in an embrace so tight that Kendra couldn't recall Derek ever holding her like that when they dated.

March Break was finally starting to get interesting.


	7. Chapter 7

Sam sat on the sofa between the two couples that were Amanda/Ralph and Emily/Sheldon. Amanda was feeding Ralph strawberries and talking in a nauseating baby voice while Emily snuggled up to Sheldon, gushing at something he had just whispered in her ear.

Sam shook his head before taking a sip of his beer. He wasn't much of a drinker or partier. Not in the same way Derek was, but he was hoping he could relax and enjoy the evening a bit more.

When he had starting dating Kendra only a week before, he had been into it. After all, she was the most popular girl in the 12th grade. But she was also Derek's ex. Sam had a feeling his best friend wouldn't mind, however, considering he had a thing for Casey, which Sam knew about way before Derek admitted it to his own self.

_Male code my ass_, Sam thought. It had been so obvious, even back in the day. But it wasn't like Derek and Casey could _actually_ date. They would never get away with it, so Sam had pushed those temporary thoughts of hesitation aside when he had asked Casey to be his girlfriend.

Now, it seemed like Derek didn't give a shit what anyone would say. He was thinking up ways to get Casey alone so that he could somehow persuade her to be his. Derek hadn't admitted it to Sam, but after insisting they ride alone up to the cabin, Sam had figured out Derek's agenda.

He was after Casey.

And what Derek wanted, Derek got.

It was only a matter of time before his spastic ex gave into her own stepbrother. Sam wondered what Nora would say about her perfect daughter doing something so reckless and insane?

The cabin door burst open in that moment and Sam's thoughts came to halt as he turned to see Kendra rushing towards him with a wild look in her eyes. Without stopping, she bent down to take him by the hand, yanking him from his spot on the sofa. Everyone's eyes were on the two of them, and Sam loathed being the center of attention. But Kendra was determined as she dragged him up the wooden staircase to the second floor where she opened the nearest vacant room, slamming the door loudly behind her.

"Did you know?!" She asked excitedly, waiting for Sam to answer a question that he was completely clueless about.

"Know what?"

Kendra rolled eyes. "Like you don't know."

Sam shook his head, shrugging in confusion. "You're going to have to elaborate."

"Derek and Casey!"

Sam went stone cold, unable to move. Kendra knew? How in the hell did Kendra find out, because as far as Sam knew, he was the only one who had any idea Derek had a thing for Casey. Sam averted his eyes, looking anywhere but in Kendra's general direction.

"I…I don't know what you're talking about."

"You _do_ know!" Kendra exclaimed, jumping up and down in her excitement.

"Calm down," Sam hissed. If anyone outside of this room found out, Derek would have his head on a spike.

"When did it happen?"

Sam peered at her, confused once more.

"When did what happen?

"Derek and Casey. When did they get together?"

Sam chuckled. "They aren't together. Derek just has a little crush. It's like the flu. It will be over before we know it," he lied.

"What I just witnessed with my own two eyes did not look like some one-sided crush," Kendra beamed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Sam's curiosity rose for the first time that night, and considering Kendra was the biggest gossip in their school, he had a feeling she was about to burst with what she knew. He rose an eyebrow in question, waiting for her spill the details.

She didn't need any further encouragement just as Sam suspected. "I saw them making out. Like hardcore, want to rip your clothes off, making out."

Sam couldn't hide his surprise if he tried. "There is no way," he laughed weakly, not believing his ears. Even if the two of them did decide to kiss, they wouldn't do it out in the open where anyone could see them.

Especially Miss Rumor Mill, herself.

Kendra bounced her head up and down in eager elation at having discovered the biggest piece of gossip that Thompson High had ever seen. "It was like I was watching Cruel Intentions all over again."

"You can't tell anyone?" Sam said sternly, which sounded foreign to his own ears. He never told anyone what to do. But right now, it was up to him to save his best friend and ex-girlfriend from dying of social suicide.

Kendra stopped smiling, gaping at him like he'd lost his damn mind. "For once, I have hardcore evidence that the two people in our school, who claim to hate each other more than anything, are going at it."

"They aren't 'going at it.' Do you honestly think Casey would do that?"

Just then, realization dawned for Kendra. "Oh my gosh! What if it's been going on this entire time and Derry cheated on me with his own stepsister?"

"It hasn't been going on that long, Kendra," Sam reassured. Truthfully, he could have told her that it probably has been going on since the beginning and squash any rumors right then and there because she would be too embarrassed to tell anyone that Derek wasn't faithful. But he couldn't do that. Not even to Kendra. "Chances are, what you witnessed, was their first kiss."

"Soooo, I can't tell anyone?" She asked in disappointed, her lips pouting.

"Not until Derek and Casey decide they want to go public with…whatever it is that's going on between them."

"But what if I accidentally let it slip?" Kendra whispered, genuinely terrified that her loose lips were going to let the cat out of the bag.

In all honesty, Sam was petrified of the exact same thing.

* * *

Derek pulled back to gaze at Casey.

He quietly drank in her beauty from the way her eyes remained closed, even after their passionate kiss had ended, to the way her pink lips were swollen from being possessed only moments ago.

This was hands down the best instant in Derek's life.

How did he get so lucky? What had he done right?

Derek knew he would be asking those questions for the rest of his life because now that he had Casey in his arms, there was no was in hell he would ever let her go.

"Case?" Derek whispered, afraid of ruining the moment. He placed his forehead against hers, waiting for those beautiful blue eyes to open and look at him. Her lashes fluttered and soon their eyes were locked. Their breathing was mutually labored; the excitement and uncertainty were almost too much to grasp. "Are you okay?"

Casey nodded weakly before falling forward and placing her head against Derek's shoulder to catch her breath. He lifted his hand into her hair while the other came around her slender body, holding her tight while savoring the moment.

Derek cursed himself for the fact that it had taken so long for him and Casey to get to this point. But he knew he was crazy for even thinking that. Truthfully, he had always figured it might happen in college…maybe even after that. But the fact that it was happening sooner was just an added bonus. They didn't have to waste any time wondering 'what if.'

He looked past them into the night, just now realizing how exposed they were to any prying eyes. Thankfully, no one was around to witness what had just transpired between him and Casey. Derek couldn't care less, but he had a feeling his stepsister would feel a little differently about letting anyone know just yet, especially Emily who had an unhealthy obsession with Derek.

And then there was the fact that several obstacles continued to stand in their way. Their parents were still married, and he was too much of a coward to tell her why Nora had left his dad in the first place. What if she was so angry that she begged Nora to get the divorce and move away. He would never see Casey again.

Derek couldn't bare it if she left him.

He resolved to tell her tomorrow, not wanting to ruin this perfect night that had been a long time coming. But he had to tell her before they went home so that he could keep her within arms reach and spend days trying to convince her of how much she really meant to him…and that he intended to keep her forever at any cost.


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N : Over 50 reviews! Thank you so much for your reading and reviewing. It makes me happy to know that so many people are enjoying my writing. I'll do my best to continue updating quickly. :) **

It was now or never.

Derek grabbed his car keys and headed for the door, determined to come clean to Casey about their parent's split. He could see the fireworks now. But if he delayed the inevitable any longer, they would never be able to move past this entire nightmare and focus on their relationship.

Not that they had a relationship…yet. But they would. Derek intended to make sure of that.

After last night, Derek became certain that Casey was 'the one.' Deep down, he always knew she was, but when there were lies that remained between them, it would be impossible to have the real relationship that Derek craved to have with his beautiful spastic girl.

Derek just hoped she would believe him when he promised that there would never be any more lies standing in their way. He would always speak the truth to her from this moment forward.

However, he had been the one to teach Casey to lie in the first place when she needed an extension on her science project at the end of last year. Why would she believe him now when he was known as the 'lord of lies?' He was determined to make her see that he had the best of intentions when it came to her.

He loved her more than he loved himself, and that was saying a whole lot.

Derek burst out of the cabin and instantly searched for Casey. It didn't take long to see her sitting in between Kendra and Emily, absentmindedly toasting a marshmallow while perched on a log. It appeared that her thoughts were as far away as his, and he could only guess why.

Blowing out a deep breath, Derek moved towards the girls with less confidence than he usually had. As he approached their small group, Emily turned a starry eye in his direction while Kendra's eyes narrowed into little slits, a devious grin gracing her features. Kendra's gaze gave him momentary pause, but he didn't have time to waste in trying to decipher its meaning.

Casey was watching his every move, as well, as he came up behind her to kneel down and whisper in her ear. He took a moment to breathe in that sweet scent of vanilla he loved so much.

"Do you want to go for a drive?" he whispered lightly. She visibly shivered and Derek still couldn't understand how he could have this kind of effect on a girl like Casey. For the hundredth time since their kiss last night, Derek once again thought, _how did I get so lucky? _

Derek held his breath, hoping that she would agree to go with him. He had contemplated taking a boat ride with her so that she would be trapped and unable to walk away, but knowing Casey, she would swim a mile back to shore just to get away from him.

Hopefully she wouldn't try jumping from a moving vehicle.

Casey nodded her head at his request and Derek visibly relaxed as he stood and waited for her to join him.

Step one, complete.

They walked to his vehicle awkwardly. Derek couldn't understand why they were acting this way. It's not like anyone would think it weird if a stepbrother and sister decided to run errands, but it's as if they felt that the slightest wrong move would give them away somehow.

Derek had to fight the sudden urge to open her car door for her. Casey liked sappy shit like that and all he wanted was for her to be happy.

They got into the Prince and Derek started the engine, backing out of the driveway until he was cruising down a road that was nearly deserted. He gripped the steering wheel tight going through the speech he had memorized in his mind numerous times this past week.

"There's something I have to tell you, Casey," Derek began, his voice shaking. He cursed himself for being so weak.

"Do you regret it?" Casey asked in a near whisper.

Derek snapped his head to attention and looked at her like she'd lost her mind, instantly knowing that she was referring to their fiery kiss the night before. "No! Of course I don't regret it. Fuck, Case. I've waited too damn long to kiss you."

He was happy to see her visibly relax and smile at his words of protest. She perked up before asking, "then what is it you need to tell me?"

Derek cleared his throat. The time had come, and he only prayed she would be understanding.

"It's about our parent's split."

"I had a feeling you knew more than you were admitting to."

Derek nodded his head in affirmation. "Now before I tell you, you have to promise me that you will remain calm and not freak out in normal Casey fashion."

Casey made a face. "I know that they had a big fight, but how bad can it be? It's not like George cheated on mom," she laughed, thinking the thought preposterous.

Derek swallowed hard. Shit was about to hit the fan.

"What did George do?" Casey asked in a panic. When he failed to answer, she screamed his name in that same way he always found endearing before this moment. Now he found it scary as hell. "Der-ek!"

That's when his brain went into overdrive, spilling the words from his mouth faster than he could think.

"Mom came back to town. Finished her degree with a Doctorate in Marine Biology, you know. I guess she had this crazy idea of wanting to go to lunch with G and discuss some sort of custody plan about us kids over a plate of sushi. Now mom looovvvesss sushi. That raw kind that makes you want to throw up and shit. Not the good stuff with cream cheese in the middle. Anyway, Dad just went along with it because….well, he's an idiot and total pushover. I'm sure he didn't eat a damn bite…"

"Der-ek!" Casey screamed again to stop his incessant rambling. "What did George do?!"

"Mom kissed Dad," Derek blurted out, squinting in pain from the blow that was bound to come. Now that the words had spilled from his mouth, there was no taking them back. He desperately wished that he could.

And then there was nothing. Casey didn't say a damn word. Derek was too afraid to look at her and see the fury in her eyes that he knew would be there. It had to be.

Derek risked a glance in her direction, and what he saw wasn't what he had anticipated. Casey was hurt, her blue eyes glassing over. She still had her body turned in his direction, her seat belt stretched to the max.

Seconds ticked by…minutes. And still nothing.

"It's not Dad's fault, Case," Derek began, determined to see she didn't blame his father. While his dad was completely clueless about everything in life, especially women, he wasn't a bad guy. Far from it.

"Is that why you hung up on Abby yesterday?"

Derek was glad that Casey had finally found her voice, despite the crack from her attempting to hold back tears. He nodded in response.

"How long have you known?" _Fuck_, Derek thought. The one question he was hoping to avoid. But Derek was determined to try out this new honesty thing, even if he only meant it to be with Casey.

"Tuesday."

"You've known for five days, and you're just now telling me?!"

"I tried, baby. I really did, but every time I attempted it, the words wouldn't come out. I'm so sorry."

Casey's gaze went from a look of hurt, to confusion, to surprise, and then more confusion. Her features were changing so fast that Derek couldn't keep up if he tried.

"I want to go home."

"Back to the cabin?"

"No," Casey said, wiping at her cheek. "I want to go home to Mom and Lizzie. I should have never left."

Derek's heart lurched in his chest, his fingers turning white as he gripped the steering wheel tight. He was prepared for this. She was confused and hurt and acting appropriately for the situation. At least, that's what he had read on the internet last night when he had searched, "Normal reaction for oversensitive female."

"I thought you wanted to go over the plan on how to get the 'rents back together?" Derek asked softly, cracking a forced smile.

Casey let out a bitter laugh. "You're joking right? George kissed his ex-wife that he has children with."

"I told you that it's not Dad's fault."

"I don't care! He shouldn't have put himself in that situation to begin with. He and Mom are supposed to be a team. The appropriate thing to do would have been to sit down together, all three of them, and discuss custody. Not…have…a…lunch…date! Alone!"

Derek knew that she was right, but what's done was done, and there was no fixing it now.

"So, then what? You're going to demand Nora divorce Dad so that you can move far away?"

"If that's what it takes," Casey bit out. The harshness of her tone caused Derek's anger to begin heating up. The one thing he feared most was currently happening. When he didn't speak immediately, Casey said once again, "I want to go home."

"You don't have a home. Remember, Case?"

"You know what I mean!"

"I paid two hundred bucks for this crowded ass vacation, so you aren't going anywhere!"

Casey blinked in disbelief. "You aren't going to drive me back to London?"

"I'll drive you back on Friday, like we had planned."

"Then I'll take the bus home."

Derek barked out in laughter at her insane ultimatum. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged."

Derek was beginning to really lose his patience at this point. Casey was so angry that she was willing to run away and back home without his help if that's what it took. It's not as if he wanted to hold her hostage, but he was terrified of her leaving and him never laying eyes on her again. He couldn't bare the thought.

He couldn't breath without her. She had been his source of air for the past 21 months. It wasn't long enough. It would never be long enough.

Derek pulled back into the driveway, anticipating Casey's exit. She opened the car door and started for the cabin, running at maximum speed.

Derek leapt out behind her in full pursuit, not caring that every person staying at the cabin was currently looking at the spectacle of their lives.


	9. Chapter 9

Casey closed her ears as she sank down, trying to block out the pounding and screaming that was happening on the other side of the door.

"Casey!" _Bang, bang, bang._ "Casey! Open the door! Casey!" _Bang, bang, bang._

How had she been so happy last night, only to have it torn from her hours later? She could still taste Derek on her lips and longed to savor the moment. But once again, her world came crashing down around her.

Her parents' divorce.

Her father moving to New York and she seeing him three times in the past two and half years.

Her mother's new marriage.

Falling in love with her stepbrother.

George breaking her mother's heart.

Her Mom lying to her.

Derek lying to her.

Well, maybe they hadn't lied, but they chose to withhold vital information.

Casey knew that she was acting irrationally. After all, Derek wasn't the one who let down her mother, and judging by the insane way he was acting in front of their entire class, maybe he really did care for her in that demanding and obnoxious way of his.

But he had kept the deception of George and Abby from her, instead taking her hours away from home when she should be there for her Mom and little sister.

In spite of all that had happened; she was certain that the one thing that she would never be able to shake was her feelings for Derek. When exactly had her feelings betrayed her? When had she fallen in love with him? How was she supposed to leave Derek behind and pretend her feelings never existed?

Did it happened before their parents wedding when they pretended to loath one another and try to keep them from marrying?

Was it being locked in the bathroom together for hours or the way he fought Sam when she dated his best friend?

Did it happen when he busted Scott for cheating on her, showing how much he really did care?

Perhaps it was on her 16th birthday a short while ago when she had to have her appendix out and he wore that ridiculous play stethoscope. He'd looked so cute when he pulled down his face mask to ask if she had missed him. She was furious at him that day, but it was hard to stay mad when he made sure his face was the first thing she saw when waking up from surgery.

Casey laughed through her tears at the memory.

…Maybe it was in the way he held his little sister and always tried to keep her from crying.

Casey knew that he would be an amazing father.

She loved him for everything he wasn't, and even more for everything he was. She loved him for being obnoxious and immature. She loved him for being caring and protective.

She loved Derek Venturi, and she vowed that they would get through this somehow.

She just needed time.

* * *

Derek pulled at his hair, panicking as he watched Sam hand over his car keys to Kendra.

Kendra was taking Casey home. Casey was leaving without him.

"No, I'll take her home," Derek said in a rush, starting for the cabin. His ex-girlfriend pushed hard against his chest, taking several steps backward as Derek attempted to get past her. His friends were ganging up on him and his temper was on the verge of boiling over.

Apparently, some of their classmates had threatened to call the cops if he didn't stop acting like a lunatic, so Sam and Ralph had physically dragged him out of the door and away from any prying eyes.

"She doesn't want to see you right now, Derek. She just wants to go home." Kendra, who usually loved this sort of display because it gave her reason to run her mouth off, was giving him a serious look that meant business.

"You don't have to take her," Sheldon chimed in. "Em and I can drive her back home. This whole vacation isn't as fun as we've hoped anyway."

"No!" Emily explained, causing several pair of eyes to glance her way in surprise. "I…I mean, Kendra already offered, and Casey is ready to go now. She might as well…"

"Petty little bitch," Derek bit out, causing Sam to shove him hard in the shoulder at his foul and degrading mouth. In that moment, he couldn't seem to control it and every thought he'd ever had was rising to the surface.

"Hey, don't talk to my girlfriend that way!" Sheldon said, standing up to Derek like a peacock ready to fight. The kid had balls; Derek had to give him that.

"Sorry to break it to you, Sheldon, but your girl would drop her panties for me in a heartbeat if I gave her even a second of my attention."

"Derek!" Sam exclaimed, begging him to stop before he destroyed any relationships he had left.

Derek walked over to Emily, staring her straight in the eye while talking to the other members of their circle. "Everyone knows that Emily is only friends with Casey because it gives her an excuse to be around _me_. She knows that I have been so fucking focused on Casey this entire trip…the entire time our parents have been married, that if she left, she could finally have me all to herself. And that…will never happen." That's when Derek chose to ground out the truth, forever changing what they thought they all knew.

"She can't stand that I'm in love with Casey."

The silence was deafening following his confession. Even Ralph was speechless and understood every fucking word he said. It was out there now. They all knew. And there was no taking it back…not that he wanted to.

In the distance, he saw Casey stepping out of the front door with her suitcase and duffel bag in hand. Even from far away he could see that she had been crying. It tore at his heart to see her so miserable, knowing he had been the one to make her hurt.

Derek knew that he should have been honest with her from the beginning. Casey would have been angry, but she would have understood. She was mad that he waited until they were so far away from home to tell her about what happened.

_I'm so fucking stupid_, he thought to himself as he started to walk in her direction.

Kendra tried once again to stop him, but her effort was half-assed. She didn't try very hard. Derek's anger was fading and if Casey wanted to leave, he had no right to try and stop her or force her to let him take her home, himself. He should have said 'okay' the minute she asked him in the car to drive her back to London.

But it was too late, and he knew he had to let her go. He just prayed that he wasn't letting her go for good.

Casey tensed as he walked near, backing up at his approach. Derek halted his steps, hating that she was suddenly afraid of him. He shouldn't have chased after her and pounded on the door, screaming. There were so many things that Derek wished he could change over the past hour; so much that he had royally fucked up and couldn't take back.

Ever so slowly, he reached out his hand and took her suitcase from her fingers, being careful not to touch her. He then grabbing the strap of her duffel bag, relieving her of the weight.

He lingered for a moment before walking to Sam's car.

Kendra popped the trunk to allow him to load her belongings, a stunned Casey walking to the passenger side so that she could get in and ride far away from him. Derek cleared his throat, choking back tears. He never cried. He didn't even cry when he was 13 and his mother left.

But his sweet girl had the power to break him in half.

Derek walked past her quickly, leaving the trunk open so that he could do the one thing he'd wanted to do earlier before their disastrous drive.

He opened the car door.

The surprise on Casey's face was cute as hell, but she offered him a small smile before sinking down onto the leather seat. Her offered smile gave him hope.

Derek didn't close the door immediately. He couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he bent down and gazed up at her, wanting her to see how much he really cared about her.

Reaching up to tuck a stray hair behind her ear, Derek's heart hurt when she flinched from his touch. It was a far cry from last night when she had wrapped her arms around him, begging him to hold her closer.

He wanted to make her feel safe, not terrified.

"Have a safe trip, Case," Derek whispered. "I love you."

**A/N: I'm not crying, you're crying…Don't hate me for this! Lol. I had to pull them apart so I can bring them back together. Thank you for all the support! You're all amazing. **


	10. Chapter 10

The next few days went by in a haze.

Shortly after Casey drove away, Derek packed his things and left. He couldn't stay where he was no longer wanted. And more importantly, he needed to be close to Casey if she suddenly wanted to talk.

Even though he tried to fight the urge and give her space, Derek had texted her on his drive back.

"I'm heading home, too. Don't hesitate to call if you need anything."

A few minutes after sending that text, he had picked his phone up once more to quickly type, "I love you."

That had been Sunday afternoon, and it was now Wednesday. She never replied.

Derek shoved a spoonful of cereal into his mouth while sitting at the island, gazing down at his cell phone for the hundredth time in three days. It hadn't rung once. Not Sam…not Ralph…and certainly not Casey.

He had ostracized everyone, and Derek wasn't sure he would ever be able to fix what he had done.

Derek scratched at his face. He knew he needed to shave, but he didn't even have the energy for that. He was surprised at the small shadow on his jaw considering he had a hard time growing any facial hair. He must have aged in the past few days from stress, heartbreak, and depression.

It was at that moment that the doorbell rang, startling Derek. The deafening quiet he was growing accustomed to was suddenly interrupted. He gazed down at his attire; a t-shirt and sweatpants. His hair was a mess and he hadn't bathed since Sunday evening after arriving home. He pitied whomever was at the door.

Derek slowly walked into the foyer with a heavy sigh. He opened the door and paused, not expecting to see who was currently standing on his front porch.

Nora.

"Hi, Derek," she said, her naturally bright smile lighting up her face. "Can I come in?"

Derek ran a hand through his hair looking around the room at the mess that scattered the floor. Pizza boxes and dirty clothes were strewn around the living room. A part of him felt like he now had to impress Nora; not because she was his stepmother…but because she was his girlfriend's Mom.

Deep down, Derek knew that Casey wasn't his actual girlfriend, and at this point, she may never be.

But in his heart, she was his everything.

Derek backed up to allow her entry, bending down to pick up a few clothes and run them into the laundry room. Nora entered with caution like an invited guest, waiting in the entry like this hadn't been her home up until a short while ago.

Derek walked back into the living room, crossing and uncrossing his arms. "What's up?" he asked, speaking for the first time.

"Is George home?"

Derek shook his head. "No, he took Edwin and Marti to Niagara Falls for the week. It's March Break, you know."

Nora smiled once again and nodded her head in understanding. "I'm kind of glad, because I actually came over to talk to you."

"Me?" Derek asked, creasing his forehead in confusion.

"Casey came back Sunday. Would you care to tell me what happened, because my daughter has barely said two words since?"

Derek winced. On one hand, he was relieved to know that she was physically okay, but on the other, he was in pain to know that she was hurting.

"I'd rather not discuss it," he spoke softly. "At least, not yet."

Nora looked like she was going to be understanding about the whole matter and leave it alone, but she put her hands-on Derek's abdomen, pushing him backwards until he fell into his recliner. Nora grabbed the coffee table, dragging it to the right until she able to take a seat directly in front of him. She pulled something from the pocket of her jacket, holding it up for Derek to see.

"_This _is what I want to talk to you about." It was Casey's phone that Derek bought her last year. He held his breath. What was she doing with Casey's cell?

"What about it?" Derek asked.

"My daughter has been silent, and when she thinks no one is listening, I can hear her cry herself to sleep. I was desperate to know what was wrong with her. She's always been so happy, and I can't bare to see her hurting. Since she refuses to talk to me, I stole her phone while she was in the shower."

"Mmmhmm," Derek muttered weakly, not able to meet Nora's eyes.

"And," she continued. "There are texts after texts that don't make sense to me. Emily is yelling at Casey, telling her she is a backstabber. Sam is pleading with her to answer him, hoping that she is alright. And then there are texts with unknown numbers trying to get the details about…you."

Derek gripped the chair tight, unable to say a word. Nora knew. He could tell she did. But in normal stepmother fashion, she was waiting for him to confess. He couldn't come right out and say it. Not without Casey's permission. He had fucked everything up already. He couldn't screw it up anymore than he already had.

"Not to mention the text from you that I eventually ran into…"

Derek stood, leaping from his chair. He put his hands on his hips, pacing back and forth. "I think you should go, Nora. Please."

Nora gazed up at him, but her eyes weren't judgmental or disgusted. She rose from her spot on the coffee table. "I love you like you were my own son, Derek. You've been a major pain in the ass, but I wouldn't have it any other way."

Derek scoffed, but remained silent.

"I'm not surprised by what's happened. Let me just put it this way. It's always been a matter of when…not if. I'm just sorry that it had to be George and I separating for the two of you to finally see it."

Derek gazed up at Nora from underneath his bangs, surprised. "You aren't mad?"

"I'm not happy," Nora rephrased. "But you two have always seemed to be each other's exceptions, and I can respect that. I know that you love her, Derek. I've always been able to see it, even threw the fights…_especially_ with the fights," she smiled.

"I told her what Dad and Mom did. That's why she got so angry. I knew about it days before I told her and she was pissed I kept it from her," Derek blurted out. Nora's smile faded.

"I see," she said. "I'm ready to talk to George when he gets home. I just needed some time to think."

Derek breathed out in relief. So, Nora was willing to try and patch things up with his Dad finally. Maybe he didn't have to lose Casey after all. A heavy weight suddenly lifted from Derek's aching chest.

"What changed your mind?"

"You and Casey."

"What did Casey and I have to do with anything?" Derek asked in confusion.

"I read these texts two days ago, Derek," she confessed, holding up the phone still clutched in her hand. "I've been watching my daughter go through hell, and judging by your appearance, I'm guessing you have been too. It made me realize that if you really love someone, you can't bare to be apart from them. And that's how I feel about your father. It's going to take some time, but hopefully with a little communication, we can go back to where we were. All of us."

Derek closed his eyes, feeling a tear fall down his face. He quickly wiped it away, hoping that Nora hadn't noticed. _What the hell?_ he thought, hating how his body was betraying him.

Nora reached out, bringing him into a tight hug. Derek didn't fight it. He put his arms around her and held on, wishing that he could have a relationship like this with his own mother. "She just needs time to think, Derek. It will all work out in the end."

Derek didn't let go as she spoke but hoped that Nora was right. Whether Casey wanted to see him now or not, he hated her living in some motel with no privacy of her own to mend in.

"Please come home," he choked out, holding onto to Nora as if his life depended on it.


	11. Chapter 11

Casey sat on her bed, glancing around the familiar room that now felt foreign to her.

She was finally home.

It was Saturday evening and the past week had been a whirl wind of emotions. Nora confessed that she had went through her phone out of concern because Casey refused to speak about what was troubling her.

Casey had refused to speak at all.

She couldn't blame her mother for fearing her eldest daughter's behavior, because while Casey did experience mood swings quite often, she always tried to put on a happy facade when feeling down. But this time, her heart hurt too much to even fake it.

After returning from the lake, she had closed herself off from everything and everyone. Her phone was vibrating with text message after text message, and while she read them, she never replied.

Emily hated her.

Sam was concerned.

And the entire junior class of Thompson High was being nosy as hell. But she couldn't blame them after they witnessed Derek's destructive behavior.

Derek.

He sent back to back messages telling her to not hesitate in contacting him and that he was headed home, too; that he loved her. She was barely halfway home when she received those sweet messages from him, and she wanted to hear his voice so badly that she almost broke down and called him in that moment. But it was too soon. He professed his love for her seconds after acting like a maniac.

Casey needed space to mend and she couldn't do that if she listened to the soothing voice of the boy she would never be able to live without.

Her mother told her that she talked to Derek on Wednesday morning and that he had broken down and told her everything. He told her about their plan to get her and George back together and how he soon realized the extent of his feelings for Casey soon after she moved out. He told her about their kiss by the lake and his tyrannical meltdown. He told Nora that he loved her daughter and couldn't bare the thought of never seeing her again.

By Friday evening, Nora chose to go to dinner with George to talk about the separation and how they could move past what had happened. It was too soon for her take him back completely, and Casey knew the feeling. But she did decide to move back into their shared home for the sake of the 'children.' She would be sleeping in Lizzie's room while Lizzie and Marti shared for the time being.

Surprisingly, however, her mother was fine with her and Derek seeing each other. A part of Casey felt that her mother was putting her own troubles aside so that she and Derek could be near one another. After all, Nora said that they both looked utterly miserable, and she couldn't stand seeing them that way.

Derek was currently working a shift at Smelly Nelly's; his first shift back since the beginning of March Break. He knew that she was home and Casey was a bit surprised he hadn't called in when George told him that the McDonald girls were moving back in. After all, he had asked her numerous times to come home.

But Casey realized that it wasn't because he didn't want to see her…it was because he was giving her space.

He was trying so hard to give her what he thought she wanted, and Casey loved him even more for it. But a very big part of her was disappointed when she walked through the front door and his face was nowhere to be found.

It was 9:30 and supper was over. Marti was in bed and Lizzie and Edwin were about to follow. Her mother and George were speaking in hushed tones, and soon they would go their separate way and continue sleeping apart from one another.

Casey wondered what it would be like to spend one night in the arms of Derek. She knew that one night would never be enough.

Casey put on her pajamas, shut off her lamp, and climbed into bed. Her mind was racing wildly, and she knew that sleep would continue to allude her.

When the clock on her nightstand read 11:17, Casey heard footsteps coming from the stairs, and she trembled. She knew it was Derek. He had just got home from work and was heading to his bedroom where he would sleep just on the other side of their shared wall.

She listened to his footsteps, waiting for his bedroom door to click shut behind him. But the sound never came. There was utter silence and Casey furrowed her brow in confusion.

And that's when Casey heard her own door open with the hallway light drifting softly in. She had her back to the door and remained unmoving, unsure of what to do. Perhaps he had changed his mind about giving her space after all? But Casey's heart hurt so bad that she wasn't sure she wanted him to turn around and leave. She missed him more than words could ever say.

Casey closed her eyes as she felt him draw near. She waited for him to wake her up, but he didn't. Instead, she felt her fallen covers lift as he drew them upwards to place them over her exposed arms. He was tucking her in. The smallest gesture and it was the most selfless act anyone could do.

A light kissed grazed her temple and she breathed in his familiar scent.

Casey was home.

She was so lucky to be able to live with the boy that she loved at such a young age. And suddenly, the past week seemed foolish. She was insane to waste even one moment making both of them suffer.

She felt Derek stand from the bed, certain he was about to leave. Casey's breath quickened in a panic.

"Derek," she said in a rush, sitting up in bed and climbing to her knees, staring at his outlined figure in the doorway of her room. He spun around, looking startled as she spoke.

"I…I didn't mean to wake you. Sorry."

"No, I wasn't asleep. I'm glad you came in."

She heard Derek give a heavy sigh of relief before closing the door and returning to her side. He clicked on her bedside lamp, causing Casey to squint at the sudden brightness.

Derek was standing before her in his Smelly Nelly t-shirt looking more beautiful than anyone had a right be. He was drinking her in too, scanning her body with the same hungry gaze that only Derek had ever given her. But she didn't fully understand his look until now.

Now she understood it all too well.

Casey wore a small t shirt and shorts, which was a far cry from her usual pajamas that were loose and baggy. For a moment, she felt self-conscious and wanted to cover her body from his desirous gaze. But this was her Derek and she trusted him more than anyone. She didn't have to be embarrassed or ashamed of being so scantly clad in front of him. The love in his eyes was all she needed.

"You're so beautiful, Case."

Casey crawled over on her knees to where he stood, reaching out to touch him. His toned body flexed underneath her fingertips in reaction to her caress. She lifted her arms to draw him downward until his lips were moving against her own. She moaned into his mouth, pulling back from embarrassment at letting the brazen sound escape her lips. Derek grinned down at her, pulling her tight against his body before crashing his lips down on hers in a ravenous embrace that made Casey's entire body tremble.

This hold was far different than their first encounter. It wasn't gentle and tender, but rather fierce and unrelenting. They were making up for the past six days apart. They were making up for the past two years that they had gone fighting their love for one another.

She pulled back, softly pushing at Derek's chest until he reluctantly released her from their shared passion. She looked up into his dark eyes that were near black in their desire.

"Don't you have something you want to ask me?" Casey said expectantly. Derek's grin widened as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, rocking them gently back at forth.

"It's a little too soon for a marriage proposal, don't you think?"

Casey rolled her eyes but smiled. "That's not _quite_ what I meant, and you know it."

"Why do I have to be the one to ask?" he taunted playfully.

"Because you're the man, that's why."

"This coming from a proud feminist?"

"I may be a feminist, but I'm still a romantic, Derek Venturi."

Derek released his hold gently, moving one hand to the side of her face and grazing his thumb softly against her cheek. His featured turned serious.

"I want you to know that if we do this…there isn't going to be some petty high school breakup after having one fight," Derek said somberly, staring directly into Casey's blue eyes. She held her breath for every word he spoke to her. "This is it. I'm going to love you…I'm going to marry you…I'm going to be the father of your children. I won't settle for any less."

Casey closed her eyes against the beautiful words he spoke, wondering how she got so lucky. It wasn't until Derek kissed away her tears that she noticed she was crying.

"Understood?" Derek asked, waiting patiently for her to respond.

Still wrapped in his arms, Casey nodded her head in response, wanting everything he offered her and more.

"Casey McDonald…will you be my girlfriend?"

Casey bobbed her head up and down vigorously, not realizing how long she had waited for him to say those actual words to her. "Yes, I will. I love you, Derek."

**A/N: This isn't quite the end yet! I plan on uploading a few more chapters, so stay tuned. **


	12. Chapter 12

Derek couldn't believe that after a week of pure misery, Casey was finally in his arms where she was always meant to be. He couldn't stop touching her. He couldn't stop kissing her.

She was officially his girlfriend, and he vowed that he would never let her slip through his fingers ever again.

Derek laid her back against the pillows, relishing the feel of her underneath him as he continued to softly kiss her. What had been savage and untamed only moments ago was now tender. He wanted Casey to know how much she meant to him; how much he really did love her. And no matter how often he pissed Casey off in the future, which was bound to happen because he was still Derek Venturi, she would always know that she was his everything, even during a fight.

Derek ran his hands over her as he swallowed her soft whimpers into his mouth, loving the sounds that escaped her sweet lips. He had thought about touching Casey like this numerous times since the first second he laid eyes on her.

Okay…maybe not since the _first_ second.

While Derek thought she was cute in the beginning, she still had braces on. She also had horrendous bangs and made corny math jokes. But by their parent's wedding day, she was a total knockout. It was crazy to think what a difference two months could make.

Derek ran his fingers lightly over her hair and down her arms, taking his sweet time, enjoying the feel of her against his skin. He trailed even farther down until her thigh was gently grasped in his palm. He loved how smooth her body was, how sweet her skin smelled…how fucking incredible she tasted. It wasn't until his hand ran over her flat stomach and upward to cup her breast that Casey pulled her mouth from his, breaking the spell they were under.

She grabbed onto his wrist to stop his grasp, but Derek continued to touch her, bending down to kiss her on her neck as she attempted to speak, hoping to soothe any fear from her mind so that she could enjoy their moment together as much as he was. He kneaded her flesh lightly, loving the way her back arched in response. She was the perfect handful.

Her breathing was shallow.

"Derek…"

"Mmmmmm," he moaned.

"We should slow down. Too…fast," she said in broken words.

"You don't like me touching you, Princess?" Derek whispered against her hot skin. She trembled.

"I like it too much. That's the problem."

Derek halted his caress, raising his head to look her in the eyes. Her lips were pouting, and she was beginning to somber considerably.

"That doesn't sound like a problem to me," Derek said with a smirk, bending down to kiss her quickly on the lips in an attempt to make her feel more relaxed and less nervous.

"It's just," Casey started, biting down on her swollen lip before confessing in a definite tone that signified, she meant business, "I'm _not_ going to have sex with you."

Derek looked down at her, first surprised by her declaration and then highly amused. He was trying hard to keep a straight face. Leave it to Casey to think he was trying to go all the way by pushing his luck to second base. Apparently, he shouldn't have tried it minutes after making her his girlfriend. He nodded his head in 'understanding.'

"Listen, Case. I'm just glad that you were able to forgive me. All I want is for you to be happy. You don't have to have sex with me _ever_ if you don't want."

Casey rose her eyebrow at his response before narrowing her gaze into little slits, indicating that she could tell he was lying.

Derek shrugged. "Okay…sex in college would be nice."

Casey snickered, rolling her eyes, but offered a smile before smacking Derek's hand off her breast and bringing him down for another mind-blowing kiss.

* * *

On Monday morning, Derek entered the halls of Thompson high with Casey by his side.

Instantly, the whispers began, and all eyes were directed at them. But Derek could care less about being the center of some childish gossip. He had everything he would ever want, and more. Casey and he were officially together, and nothing could dampen the euphoric bliss coursing through his veins.

He risked a glance at his beautiful new girlfriend who looked a little more uncertain at being the center of unwanted attention than he did. Derek reached out his hand and laced his fingers through hers, giving her a wink of encouragement. She tensed up at first, but gradually relaxed under his reassuring touch.

On Sunday morning, they had told the family about their affair. It was nice to say it out loud and let the McDonald/Venturis know that they were moving forward with their relationship. Nora said that she heard them "speaking" in Casey's room the night before, and as happy as she was for them, there would be an 'open door' policy from now on.

Derek was a bit put out with the fact that Nora was now sleeping in the room directly next to theirs, but he was glad that she had brought his Casey home. That's all that mattered.

Upon telling everyone about their relationship, Marti had been excited, not fully understanding how taboo the entire situation technically was to the outside world. Edwin was grossed out and Derek gave him a death glare until his little brother said, 'congrats, bro!" Lizzie made a face but remained quiet while George looked on disapprovingly, saying that he never saw this coming. He really was clueless after all. But because Nora was accepting of Derek and Casey being together, he was too. He always tried to side with Nora. Especially now that he was hell bent on keeping her happy in a monumental attempt at fixing their broken relationship.

As they continued down the hallway hand-in-hand, Derek spotted Sam and Ralph in the distance. They were talking close while stealing glances at Derek and Casey, trying not to be obvious. They were failing miserably.

"I'll see you in history," he said to Casey. She could see where his attention was directed, so she gave Derek a small nod before walking on. Derek pulled back gently on her hand, unsure of how Casey would feel if he kissed her in the hallway in front of everyone when the entire school's eyes were already on them. The hallways were already buzzing because they dared to hold hands. Derek lifted her fingers, brushing a light kiss on her skin while giving her a wink. Casey's cheeks instantly brightened as she gave him a shy smile and turned to walk away.

She ran into an underclassman, muttering a 'sorry' before taking off to art class.

Derek smiled after his clumsy girl.

He took a calming breath before turning his attention on his friends…or were they former friends? He guessed it was about time to find out. Derek hesitantly walked up to them, waiting for them to say something. Both looked in his direction but remained quiet. He figured he would have to be the first to speak.

"Hey, guys," he began, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm s…s," that word was still a pain in the ass to get out of his mouth. "sorry about what happened."

Sam and Ralph looked at each other, exchanging a glance of surprise. "I don't think I've ever heard you apologize before," Sam said.

"Yeah, I've heard that once or twice," Derek stating, thinking back to when Casey had told him the same thing not long ago. "Don't get used to it."

"So, you and Casey, huh?" Ralph said, cracking a smile. "Niiiiiiice."

Both Derek and Sam turned to Ralph, giving him dual blank stares. "What?" Ralph shrugged. "She's hot."

Derek wasn't amused, but he had to admit that guys were easy. They weren't complicated like girls. If you acknowledged you were an ass on occasion, any friendship could be salvaged.

Derek walked over to Ralph with an exaggerated laugh, placing his arm around the other guys shoulder and squeezing his neck tight. Normally he would threaten to rip his head off, but Derek knew something that would scare Ralph much more. "Call my girlfriend hot again…and I'll tell Amanda."

Ralph looked off into the distance, terrified. "Sugar Muffin would kill me."

Sam slammed his locker shut. "Well," he turned to Derek. "Now that you've apologized to us, don't you think you should complete your rounds?"

Derek groaned. "Fiiiine. I'll go say 'sorry' to Kendra, Amanda, and maybe even Sheldon. But I'm really dreading that last one."

"That's all good, D. But don't you think you should really say your sorry to Emily first?"

Derek looked at Sam like he'd lost his mind. And then he burst out laughing. "You're joking right? Apologize? For speaking the truth?"

"You were cold hearted man. That wasn't cool."

"It may not have been cool," Derek said, his lips twitching as he kept from laughing once again. "And I…I could have went about it in a better way. You know, by not calling her my wannabe groupie in front of everyone. But everything I said to her is the truth."

"Truth or not, no one deserves to be talked to that way."

Derek knew that Sam was right, but could he really make an apology to someone when he couldn't bring himself to regret his words? She _was_ after Derek. She _was_ only friends with Casey to get closer to him. She would _never_ forgive Casey for being with Derek.

It's not like Emily and Casey were automatically going to go back to the way things were now that Derek and Casey were in an official relationship. It's not like they would ever go on double dates with Emily and Sheldon, pretending that the last two weeks never happened.

To Derek, it seemed pointless to make 'amends.'

"Here's your chance to do the right thing," Sam said, looking over Derek's shoulder. "Emily!" Sam reached out, grabbing the girl by her arm before she could dart past them. Derek groaned outwardly, not trying to hide his sudden agitation. "I think Derek has something he wants to say to you."

Derek gave Sam a seething look, but Sam kept a neutral eye on him…waiting. Everyone went quiet; all eyes on him.

"Emily," Derek began with a growl. He cleared his throat. "I'm sorry that you've been in love with me for ten years because I'm too charismatic."

Even Ralph could sense how bad of an apology that was. He kicked Derek in the leg.

"Mmmmm," Derek winced, but put on the fakest smile he could muster before trying again. "Emily…I'm sorry that I was mean to you. I was out of line."

The girl quickly realized that that was the best she was going to get considering the lack of sincerity involved. She hugged her books to her chest before asking. "So, you and Casey are really together?"

"Yes," Derek said immediately. "And I plan to keep it that way for a very very very very long time."

Emily's eyes glazed over with a mixture of disappointment and hatred, but she gave a quick nod of her head before pulling from Sam's grasp and speeding back down the hallway.

He just hoped that Emily's ongoing infatuation with him, and her newfound distain for Casey, didn't come back around to hurt his girl.


	13. Chapter 13

**One Month Later**

Casey held the pancake batter dispenser over the skillet, perfectly creating a round disk of yummy goodness. While she would never eat chocolate chip pancakes with chocolate syrup herself, they were Derek's favorite. She always made them for him every time she needed to apologize or break bad news in the past.

But today was a very special day which called for only the best breakfast for her crazy boyfriend.

Over the past month, he had turned out to be a better boyfriend than she ever imagined he would, or could, be. He listened to her cry despite the look of terror on his face. She could tell he wanted to run, but he always stayed. He rubbed her back during her period and even bought her a giant chocolate bar. Casey wasn't a fan of junk food and tried her best to stay clear of anything unhealthy, but it was staring right at her and she ended up eating the whole thing while he stroked her hair.

He even accompanied her to the local bookstore and let her go wild while he sat in a nearby chair and napped; a comic book lying on his chest. He paid for everything she got, even though Casey never intended him to do so. He told her to save her allowance since she was lazy and had no job. Ultimately, he _was_ still Derek and felt the need to continue being rude on occasion. She was just grateful it wasn't every single day anymore.

They only had three fights in the last month, which was a miracle. Maybe they could make their relationship go the distance, after all.

The only condition he had was that she leave him alone during his Hockey games on TV. He promised to shower her with as much attention as he was capable of giving, as long as she got lost for those occasional three hours. At first, Casey was a bit offended, but it really wasn't so bad. She usually did her homework during that time, anyway, and it was a pretty easy compromise considering how sweet he had been to her for the duration of their relationship, thus far.

But the past month had it's terrible moments, along with the good.

Casey's thoughts turned to school, and her face fell as she continued making a heaping plate of pancakes.

When Derek and Casey had gone public with their relationship, everything was decent for the first day. But by the second, it changed. When she went to school that Tuesday, the whispers and giggles were out of control.

Apparently, there was a rumor going around that she had slept with Derek before they were together, and she got pregnant. Out of obligation and responsibility, Derek had made her his girlfriend, even though he didn't like her in that way. He only used her because she was easy access and a slut.

For the first time in her entire school career, Casey skipped two classes and hid in the bathroom because she couldn't handle the lies and ridicule. She couldn't walk two feet without someone saying something demoralizing or bumping into her on purpose. On the third day of her living hell, she was knocked up against the lockers, all of her books and papers flying out her hands.

For the most part, Derek had put the fear of God into everyone he crossed paths with, making several people immediately back off. Every time someone dared to say something about Casey, he gave them a look and they would turn tail and run. But in that moment, as she was bent down picking up her belongs, Derek barreled down the hallway and beat the guy until his face was nearly unrecognizable. Every student at Thompson High knew in that moment that Casey was no charity case for Derek Venturi. He really did love her.

However, his blow up landed him with a three-day suspension and Casey was just glad that he wasn't expelled. A few kids had surprisingly come forward and told them that the other guy had purposely knocked Casey to the ground and Derek was just defending her.

The whispers stopped after that and things began to die down.

During Derek's suspension, Casey had been thankful to at least have Paul to talk to and Kendra to eat lunch with.

A few more weeks went by before she found out who had started the rumor in the first place.

Emily.

Being Casey's 'best friend,' everyone had believed the other girl about Casey's supposed pregnancy and fake relationship with Derek, thinking the news came straight from Casey herself. The betrayal hit hard. It was the worst moment of her entire life to know that the friendship she cherished the most had been a lie. When Sheldon found out that Emily spread the rumor and there wasn't an ounce of truth to it, he broke up with her, leaving her utterly alone.

Even after everything, Casey still felt bad for the other girl. She created a fantasy in her mind about Derek, thinking one day he would magically fall in love with her. But it would have never happened whether Casey was in the picture or not. It was hard not to feel guilty, but Casey was grateful that Derek loved her, and she vowed to never give him up.

Not for any reason…not for anyone.

Casey picked up the heaping plate of pancakes and made her way up the back staircase, once again feeling excited. She tiptoed across the floor, not wanting to disturb the rest of the family. Derek probably wasn't going to be happy with her waking him up on a Saturday at 8 am, but Casey was too eager to sleep.

She quietly opened Derek's bedroom door, stepping inside. Casey left the door ajar, knowing that her mother would not be happy otherwise. She knew that her Mom trusted her. It was Derek and his raging hormones that Nora didn't have any faith in.

Her mother was right to be worried. He did have hands like an octopus, even grabbing her backside in front of the entire family after dinner one evening.

Talk about mortifying.

Derek was lying on his stomach, his hair a complete mess. But he looked so adorable and innocent, sleeping soundly. It was amazing how different he appeared when oblivious to the world. The moment he woke up, he turned into an absolute devil. But his devilish side made Casey weak in the knees. She climbed onto the bed, the hot plate of pancakes still in her hands. As she moved closer to where Derek laid in the middle of his mattress, she began bending down to whisper in his ear, but paused as he abruptly spoke in a sleepy voice.

"Do I smell pancakes?"

Casey smiled. "Your favorite."

Still turned away from her while lying on his stomach, he said, "did you tell someone I failed grade 1 again?"

"Of course not!" Casey said defensively before brightening her tone once again. "I made you a special treat for a special day!"

Derek rose his head, whipping it around to glance up at Casey, one eye shut. He peeked at the clock, groaning. Reaching up, he grabbed a pancake from the plate and shoved it into his mouth. "It's not our birthdays."

Slightly offended, Casey replied with a, "No, it's not. Try again."

"Too early," Derek said, closing his eyes and laying his head back down, taking another bite of his breakfast.

"Derek," she pouted.

"Mmmm." With his eyes closed, he reached up and grabbed another, sticking the entire thing in his mouth and chewing slowly. "It'snotCwistmas."

"No," Casey said with an eye roll. "It's not Christmas."

Derek swallowed. "Why don't you just tell me because I have a feeling I'm not going to get it."

Casey sighed, putting the plate down and crossing her arms over her chest. "Derek Venturi. Today is our monthiversary."

Derek reopened one eye, pinning Casey with a look of agitated disbelief. "You have got to be fucking kidding me?"


	14. Chapter 14

Later that night, Derek locked the entrance door when the clock ready 10:55.

Smelly Nelly's was finally deserted. He wasn't taking any chances for a group of inconsiderate assholes to barge in and ruin his plans.

After Casey had woken him up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning to announce their monthiversary, Derek hadn't responded in the way Casey anticipated he would.

Derek thought celebrating a month of dating was a waste of time and beyond stupid. After all, he berated Sam relentlessly for it when he and Casey had dated. Derek never thought that she would pull that same crap with him considering they live together, see one another almost every second of every day, and weren't your typical high school relationship that would fizzle out after a month or two.

If they celebrated every month they stayed together, they would be celebrating hundreds and hundreds of anniversaries…and Derek hated shopping. He just couldn't do it. It would be hard enough to plan something once a year, which Derek fully intended to do. After all, he wrote the day down so that he wouldn't forget.

He wrote March 15th on a poster in his bedroom.

He typed March 15th in his computer.

He even wrote March 15th on the bathroom wall while taking a shit.

Derek had every intention of remembering their actual anniversary until he said 'I do' to his neurotic and incredible girl. And once married, he would do the same with their wedding date. He knew that Casey was a hopeless romantic and he wanted her happy. But celebrating a month of dating was about the most pointless thing anyone could do.

A month verses a lifetime…there was no comparison.

That morning, as she continued to kneel on his bed, she asked him what they were doing for their monthiversary. Derek's response had not been what Casey had hoped for.

He said, "I'm working. What are you doing?"

She couldn't believe that he hadn't asked off for the night so that they could celebrate. She ran into her room and locked the door.

What Derek really wanted to do was ignore the entire situation and let Casey's temper tantrum run its course. But instead, Derek had spent the better part of the morning outside of Casey's bedroom trying to get her to come out and talk to him. She wouldn't budged.

So, before he left for work, he had told Nora that when it was a little past 11, to tell Casey to come and pick him up because his car wouldn't start. He then threw all his stepmothers' dinner candles that she kept stored away for company into a grocery sack and brought them along with him to work.

Pablo was in the kitchen finishing up the Duck a l'Orange that Derek asked him to make. He was lucky that the chef at Smelly Nelly's was such a romantic at heart.

It was the dish that Casey was supposed to have for her sixteen birthday before Derek did what he did best; ruin her life. He wanted to party and didn't give a shit what Casey asked for at the time. He tried convincing himself that he was doing her a favor, but in reality, Casey never had been the partying type.

Plus, the emergency appendectomy played a large part in ruining her celebration, too, obviously.

Derek sat the orange duck in the middle of the table, thinking Pablo for cooking the bird while he still had hungry customers to serve. The chef left out the back door and Derek was now waiting for Casey to show up.

He was lighting the last candle when he heard a car horn blaring outside on the front curve. Derek smirked.

_Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeep. _

Derek sat in the chair, placing his hands behind his head, and stared at the entrance for several minutes, waiting. As expected, Casey slammed the car door shut before stomping to the front entry. She began pounding, clearly still angry from their early morning disagreement.

Derek walked slowly over to where she stood, looking at her through the glass, an amused expression on his face. She had on her pajama bottoms and bunny slippers with a sweatshirt thrown over her matching top. Derek placed a hand on the door-frame, peeking at her from underneath his bangs.

"Open the door, Derek!" she barked, glaring at him with annoyed anger.

"I'm not sure that I should, Princess. After all, you wouldn't open the door for me this morning."

"Suit yourself!" Casey said. "Have fun walking home."

Casey turned around and started for the car. Usually, Derek knew that she wouldn't just leave him, but in her current state of 'pissed off,' he had a feeling she just might. Of course, his car was running just fine, but he didn't have Pablo cook a damn gourmet meal for nothing.

Derek unlocked the door and reached out, grabbing Casey by her arm. She fought him just as he had anticipated, but it took little effort to pull him feisty girlfriend into the building, relocking it behind them.

"Hey!" she protested, yanking her body from his grasp. It was in that moment that she turned around and saw the dimly lit restaurant illuminated with candles, a tiny table for two sitting in the center, her perfect meal placed on top. She became quiet. Derek waited for her response, watching her closely.

"What's all this?" Casey asked in a hushed whisper.

Derek went to stand behind Casey. Wrapping his arms around her small waste, he placed a tender kiss behind her ear. Her obvious anger had all but subsided within seconds as she took in the romantic setting before her. "Happy monthiversary, beautiful."

Derek heard a sob escape Casey's lips, and while he hated it when she cried, this was different. She turned around in his arms, standing on her tiptoes to kiss him. Their lips crashed together, and he savored the moment for all it was worth.

It was moments like these that made life worth living.

His brain fast forwarded to their life before them. The fights that were bound to happen, the anger and the tears, the rough patched that would lead them to making up. Making up would always be the best part.

He also thought about the laughs they would share and the memories they would produce; the babies they would make and how fun that would inevitably be.

Of course, he had no intention of saying that to Casey quite yet. She was still a prude for the meantime, but he fully intended to break her of that sooner rather than later.

"I thought you said monthiversaries were stupid?" Casey asked once they broke their kiss.

"I still stand by that," Derek stated. "But what's not stupid is how much I love you. I'm sorry I didn't take it more seriously and I promise to do better in the future."

She smiled up at him. "Thank you."

"And you have to promise me something in return."

"What's that?" she asked, furrowing her brow in confusion.

"Promise me you'll lighten up a little bit. I'm trying, Case. But it's going to take some time before you properly train me to be the perfect boyfriend."

"I'll try," she said, a twinkle in her eye.

Derek stepped away slowly, going behind the counter to turn on the music, soon filling the restaurant with a corny Jason Mraz song that he had picked out specifically for him and Casey.

He really did have it bad.

"Dance with me." Derek said, holding his hand out. He wouldn't take 'no' for an answer.

Casey placed her fingers into his, a beautiful smile lighting up her flawless face. Derek brought her into his arms, holding her close. They began to sway to the music, quietly enjoying the moment…and every moment that had led up to this one perfect second in time.

Derek pulled back slightly, placing a finger underneath Casey's chin to bring her blues eyes upward to meet his own dark one. They were like fire and ice, cats and dogs, toothpaste and orange juice. And he wouldn't have it any other way.

"I will always love you, Casey. Count on it."

"I love you, Derek," she said softly, lifting her lips up to meet his own once more as they continued swaying to the music, holding tight.

* * *

** Epilogue**

**3 years later**

Derek laid in bed, quietly listen to Casey's breathing slow as she drifted off to sleep.

The past three years had been a whirlwind of emotions, triumphs, tears, and joy. Life was truly incredible.

Six months after their parent's separation, Nora and George reconciled, putting the past behind them. Derek's Mom had moved back to London as anticipated, and it was difficult to continue co-parenting when she had nearly destroyed all their lives. To this day, Derek had a strained relationship with Abby. She was the reason that Casey almost left him, and he couldn't find it within himself to forgive her.

Even Casey had tried to get him to reconcile with his mother despite what she had done behind Nora's back, but Derek flat out refused.

He'd spoken to Abby three times in the past few years; at his high school graduation, on his wedding day, and when he had broken down and called her to let her know she was going to be a grandmother.

Derek placed a gentle hand on Casey's swollen belly, hoping to feel any kind of movement. His wife was six months pregnant and they were having a baby girl.

He was scared as hell, but he would never let Casey know that.

Derek had asked Casey to marry him at their senior prom, of all places. It kind of just happened. They were dancing and she looked so beautiful, he couldn't hold it back. She laughed, not believing for a moment that he was serious. And then when she realized how sincere he was, she had surprised them both by saying 'yes.'

Naturally, Nora had been angry about the announcement and said that she expected it to be a very very very long engagement; that they better not even think about getting married until after college. It had seemed reasonable at the time, but the thought of waiting years was too much to bear. Despite their parent's objections, they married during their freshman year at Queens University.

Now they were living a mile from campus in their tiny apartment, waiting patiently for their little bundle to arrive. Money was tight, obviously, and a baby hadn't been in the cards. Derek had a full-time job while Casey worked part-time in the midst of going to class for their Sophomore year. They really had planned on waiting to start a family in the far distant future, but life had a different idea. If it weren't for Dennis sending them occasional cash, Derek wasn't sure they would make it. He hated having to accept handouts and Casey always went behind his back to ask her dad for extra money.

It made him feel lesser than because he couldn't provide for Casey and the new baby. But any time he dared to open his mouth about having money issues, everyone would throw it back in face, saying that that's what he gets for marrying her while they were too young to do so. It bothered Derek that George and Nora hadn't been happy about the baby either.

If truth be told, Derek had been worried and scared as hell when Casey told him, too. But he plastered the biggest smile on his face and held her tight because he didn't want her to panic.

The only thing that he's ever wanted for Casey was for her to be happy. And worrying about money and their future was not something Derek wished for her; especially when she should be enjoying her pregnancy and not letting it pass by.

Derek rested his head against hers, breathing in that same sweet vanilla scent that had always driven his senses wild.

How did he get so lucky?

What had he done right?

Life was just beginning, and he vowed to never take advantage of the girl he'd been given.

**A/N: I want to give a shout out to those who took the time to review every chapter written. Thank you! This is officially my most reviewed story to date and I appreciate the feedback and encouragement. It means a lot. Everyone's kind words inspired me to update frequently and finish quickly without it sitting around for years incomplete, which has happened before lol. I'm sure all of us fanfiction writers do it. Please follow me for future Dasey stories that I will inevitably write. **


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